Shropshire Star

Pictures 'as sharp as anything': Safety boost as Market Drayton's CCTV network revamped

A suite of brand new CCTV cameras has been installed in Market Drayton in the hopes of reassuring townspeople and deterring criminals.

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Looking at the new CCTV cameras is Market Drayton Mayor Roy Aldcroft

Market Drayton Town Council's project to improve the town centre's camera coverage has now reached the end of its second phase – the first covering the Towers Lawn car parks, where anti-social driving has been reported, and the second addressing complaints that the main shopping streets including Cheshire Street and the High Street were not adequately covered.

Welshpool-based company ORP Surveillance has now installed more than a dozen high quality cameras in town centre streets, after the town council received a £10,000 boost in funding from the office of the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner.

A council task force including tech expert Councillor Mike Smith has been working with the police and with providers to improve the town's coverage.

Town mayor Roy Aldcroft said: "Thanks to the PCC and his generous grant we have been able to complete phase two now, which means that most of Cheshire Street, Queen Street, the High Street and Towers Lawn is now covered by the cameras.

"The car parks are now also covered by cameras which recognise number plates.

Safety

"The pictures they produce are as sharp as anything. It's been a real great improvement.

"It's been a long haul but we've got a good team including Councillor Smith and the admin team at Market Drayton Town Council."

The council took ideas from Oswestry town centre following fact-finding visits there, and the mayor said he hoped the new provision would help townspeople feel safer in the streets.

"We've produced the goods, which I hope will make the town safer.

"Hopefully a few like this will deter the incidental bag-snatchers from coming here because they will get picked up by cameras.

"We're now looking at potential for phase three, which will be on parks and recreation grounds, and then we will be looking at other parts of the town which aren't covered. The town is developing, it's changing, we may need a phase four as well."

Last week the town's police team posted to social media to say that CCTV had helped identify a suspect in an alleged arson attack in the High Street.