A Council leader has raised fears of an increase in crime in a Ryedale town where CCTV cameras are to be switched off.
The surveillance network covering Pickering will not operate from April 1, after the local town council said the use of cameras could no longer be justified because of tight budgets.
Coun Linda Cowling, leader of Ryedale District Council, said: “I believe they provide a very useful deterrent and there are concerns the town will become a soft target for criminals.
“I do not have a problem with the town council as it is their job to decide how to spend their money, but I am worried that this is a backward step. One of the big concerns is that when the cameras leave Pickering, they will never return.”
The mayor of Pickering, William Oxley, said CCTV had only led to a handful of successful prosecutions in the 16 years since it was introduced.
He said: “If there is proof they are instrumental in crime-fighting and are working around the clock, there is always the possibility the town council will reconsider.”
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