Digital age has hit Horncastle - at last!

Horncastle is one of the last towns in Lincolnshire having to rely on an old-fashioned analogue CCTV system which provides inferior quality pictures to digital.

Mayor Bill Aron told town councillors at their recent meeting he had visited the CCTV control room in Skegness and had been assured digital cameras would be ready within ‘three months’.

Coun Aron said: “It’s a matter of BT updating all the connections. Once we get digital, Horncastle will be covered better than it is now.”

Horncastle’s community beat manager PC Dave Mills attended the town council meeting and confirmed officers did use CCTV to investigate ‘stuff that had happened - and stuff that hadn’t’.

He said: “CCTV can have its uses and it is a definite help. We’d welcome digital pictures because the quality is a lot better.”

The town council pays more than £4,700 for CCTV coverage and Coun Angela Birchall questioned whether that was ‘value for money’. She said: “I hope there are no further delays because we are paying thousands for an inferior service. It’s not right.”

Councillors heard there had been problems recently with coverage because one of the cameras had been ‘blocked’ by a flag and a Christmas tree.

Coun Phil Cantwell suggested the area covered by CCTV could be extended into West Street.

He said businesses could make a contribution towards the cost.