North Norfolk council to switch off 46 CCTV cameras in towns
CCTV coverage in five towns in north Norfolk is to cease from next March, with the loss of four jobs, unless local communities come to the rescue.
The district council's cabinet decided to switch off the cameras as part of a plan to cut budgets by more than £1m.
CCTV will end in Cromer, Fakenham, North Walsham, Sheringham and Wells but town councils can opt to run the service which has 46 cameras.
Police said CCTV was a "useful extra tool" in the fight against crime.
"Town council or community groups are being offered the opportunity to take over the service and we will provide them with the equipment, hardware and computer systems to run them," a council spokesperson said.
"We have given six weeks for councils or groups to decide if they want to take on the cameras and a further six weeks to make a firm proposal."
The council said it needed to balance its budget and cuts were essential.
The towns concerned were not regarded as high crime areas and the cameras had been cut from 24-hour surveillance to 16 hours a day in 2009.
The system has total recall and could be handed over to individual councils or groups to cover individual towns.
The council was also open to proposals from groups of towns, the spokesperson said.
North Norfolk police commander Sup Stuart Gunn said: "Public and commercial CCTV can be a useful additional tool in the prevention and detection of crime, and can provide reassurance to the public.
"We are aware of the North Norfolk District Council review of their CCTV service and will continue to liaise with them as they look at future options."