A town council is demanding 'evidence' before shelling out for CCTV coverage. 

Hugh Crouch from Rutland County Council's Community Safety team has asked Oakham Town Council for £5,800 a year towards the town's closed-circuit cameras. 

But when the town council met on Wednesday 12 November, the benefits of the system were questioned. 

Mr Crouch had outlined the problem of 'ongoing operational costs' and said since 2017 there has been no annual financial contribution to support the day-to-day running and maintenance of the CCTV network. 

"We are therefore seeking renewed annual funding support to ensure the system remains effective, responsive, and sustainable for the long term," he added. 

Oakham town clerk Chris Evans said he had been assured by Mr Crouch that the network was making a difference to crime levels. 

"I have seen enough evidence to say that it does have a real impact and is already leading to the police making significant gains on criminal activity in this town. 

"Obviously we have to keep all of that under wraps but I am assured by Mr Crouch, who knows what he is talking about, that this is a very key aspect of keeping criminal activity down to a low point in Oakham. It is working well at the moment, we are having arrests and identifications to it." 

But Cllr John Harris said the matter was subjective and that rather than keeping the results 'under wraps' perhaps "we should be telling people about it and saying 'these are not dummy cameras, and if you are selling drugs, the CCTV cameras are watching you and you will be held accountable'. 

"Surely we would publicise the fact they work and are working well?" 

Rutland County Council member Ray Payne, who was in the public gallery, said: "I am reluctant for Oakham Town Council and Rutland County Council to get into an 'us and them' scenario, which I can feel building here. I live in the town and pay my council tax to Rutland County Council. You get a share of it, and I don't care how you spend it as long as it is for the benefit of the town. 

"This is the county town and if we crack it here, surely it is for the good of the county as a whole?" 

Putting up a CCTV camera in the Woodland Trust car park at the entrance to Brooke Hill Wood was also proposed by Cllr Jonathan Nicholls. 

Cllr Sally Anne Wadsworth challenged that there was an anti-social behaviour at the car park and said that the issue was instead at the nearby area that used to be shooting range. 

The council agreed a working group would be set up and the Woodland Trust would be approached and the cost investigated.