THE Tyne and Wear Metro is to get the country's biggest single investment in CCTV cameras.

The Home Office is putting up £6.45m to fit cameras in all 58 stations on the system, including the Sunderland extension due to open in March.

The scheme is an extension of a pilot project in which cameras were fitted at four stations to record events 24 hours a day.

The 480 digital cameras will be monitored by five control rooms round-the-clock and will cover stations, car parks, footpaths and subways.

Mike Parker, director general of Metro operators Nexus, said: "We're absolutely delighted to receive Government approval for this state-of-the-art surveillance and monitoring system.

"Fear of crime, particularly in the evenings, is currently our passengers' major concern when travelling.

"The new CCTV system will dramatically reduce this concern and encourage more people to travel."

The new system is due to come into operation in the spring of next year.

Crime Reduction Minister John Denham said: "Knowing there is an extra set of eyes watching over their communities helps to reassure people that they will be safe.

"CCTV is also an important additional tool for the police, providing valuable evidence when incidents occur."

But Clare Phillipson, of Wearside Women in Need, said more security staff were required to provide help when women travellers needed it