A CLOSED circuit television camera network, first installed ten years ago, has helped police to make 4,000 arrests.

The system in Darlington started in 1994 with 40 cameras around the town, at a cost of £750,000.

Since then, an investment of £275,000 has seen the scheme extended to include the Firthmoor housing estate, where 13 cameras provide residents with round-the-clock coverage.

A further investment of £141,000 was used to link the town centre system to GNER's 24 cameras at Bank Top station.

In 2002 six cameras were installed - at a cost of £120,000 - in the Stanhope Park area, covering the Arts Centre, the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Stanhope Road and Duke Street. The same year, £40,000 was spent installing three cameras at High Northgate, covering North Road from the Northgate roundabout to Morrison's supermarket.

Cameras have also been installed in Eastbourne Park, North Cemetery, North Lodge Park and South Park. The total investment to date is in excess of £1.5m, with more than 100 cameras now linked to the Town Hall CCTV control room. All cameras can zoom, pan and tilt, with live, full-colour pictures relayed to the control room.

Borough Council leader John Williams said, "The success of our CCTV system has enabled us to extend it considerably since it was first introduced.

"The partnerships we have developed with the police and organisations such as Crimenet and Pubwatch and the vigilance of our CCTV control room staff has brought dividends. The CCTV system has proved that it is effective at catching suspected criminals. It is a real deterrent against crime and it offers reassurance to residents and visitors to Darlington."

The cameras have also virtually eliminated car crime in town centre car parks. Before the cameras were installed, there were 374 incidents reported. Figures have since fallen dramatically, with less than 30 incidents reported last year.