Willington calls for infrared CCTV

Story link: Willington calls for infrared CCTV by Jan Harris

Councillors and residents in Willington, County Durham, are calling for the town’s CCTV cameras to be upgraded.

The existing system, which cost £45,000, does not have any infrared cameras for night operation, making it ineffective in combating crime at night. The cameras are also affected by car headlights, making the pictures blurred.

Although Wear Valley District Council has promised an extra £30,000 to upgrade the system, this would not be enough to bring the system up to the required standard.

Three cameras in the town’s high street operate well during the day, and have helped in prosecutions for fraud at cash points and incidents of criminal damage.

However, as they have no infrared facility, they fall below the standard of cameras located in nearby Crook and Bishop Auckland. Upgrading the system to this standard is expected to cost £100,000.