A DECISION not to reinstall CCTV cameras in Richmond town centre has led to increased fears over public safety.

Richmond’s cameras were decommissioned in March 2014 due to budget cuts but there has been an ongoing debate about whether they should be re-installed, particularly in the light of the terrorists attacks in recent months.

A report prepared for Richmondshire District Council’s corporate board said that the cost of bringing the cameras back - estimated as £39,500 initially plus annual costs of £29,344 - was not justified given the town centre’s relatively low crime rates.

Members of the council’s corporate board agreed with the report’s findings and at their meeting last month they recommended to the council not to redeploy CCTV cameras in Richmond Market Place.

Three councillors, John Blackie, Angie Dale and Helen Grant, voted against the decision.

Cllr Blackie said Richmond was particularly vulnerable to terrorists with “evil thoughts” due to the high number of Forces personnel from nearby Catterick Garrison who regularly frequented the town.

The matter has now been referred back to an Overview and Scrutiny Committee to explore other options for communities to develop CCTV operations.

Cllr Blackie was critical of the board’s decision and said there was a feeling among the business community in Richmond that the town would benefit from the return of the cameras.

Cllr Blackie said that the council has around £2.5m in reserves which therefore negated the argument that it could not bear the cost of reinstating the CCTV.

At the meeting he put forward a much cheaper alternative suggestion, based on the security recently implemented at Hawes Post Office which has had four cameras installed at a cost of just £200 which can then be monitored online.

Cllr Blackie said: “Thinking outside the box there is absolutely no reason why something like this could not happen in Richmond.

“Perhaps if business grants could be made available then shops could apply and install and monitor the cameras themselves.

“At the Post Office they point outside to catch anybody walking in and the picture quality is fantastic.

“There are ways if you think outside the box but all we got from the Conservatives in charge of the council was a flat refusal.”