COUNCILLORS have thrown their full support behind a scheme to introduce closed circuit television to Sandbach.

Congleton Borough Council are investigating a system of three cameras to monitor events in the High Street, the Cobbles area and the Big and Little Commons 24 hours a day.

Members of Sandbach Town Council agreed that the need for greater safety and security in the town outweighed fears of the big brother syndrome.

"I'm not interested in all these people who say cameras take away people's freedom. People can be on television all the time if they are being a good citizen," said Councillor Les Morris.

County Councillor David Lloyd Griffiths agreed.

"There is no doubt that there has been support for this scheme from local people and the police force who believe it would be of significant benefit," he said.

"There has to be consideration of people's liberties, but I don't think these cameras compromise that to any degree.

"We need to ensure that the environment in the town centre is safer and that property is secure."

He added that there had been a problem in Sandbach of large groups drinking outside pubs.

"The local authority and police are united in their view that they should go ahead with the scheme," he said.

"I have no problem with the proposal at all and I look forward to its installation as early as possible."

Councillor Bernard Edwards referred to the success of CCTV in other areas.

"Quite a number of town centres have already introduced it and all of them had worries about imposing on civil liberties, but all have come out thinking it was the best thing they did," he said.

"Newcastle had tremendous town centre crime and vandalism, but since the introduction of CCTV there was a 30 per cent reduction in crime figures."

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