Concern is building over council plans to ask parishes to pay for crime-busting CCTV or risk losing it.
 

Cheshire East operates 256 cameras across 14 town centres to help keep people safe.

 

It provides round-the-clock recordings monitored by staff at a recently-updated £1m control hub in Macclesfield and says the service has reduced crime by more than six per cent since 2009/10 and anti-social behaviour by more than 15pc.

 

But CEC wants to cut costs so is asking town and parish councils to pay towards maintaining and running the cameras in their areas – or they will no longer be monitored.

 

Coun Barry Burkhill, ward councillor for Handforth, has warned this is a dangerous move.

 

Handforth has three cameras, one on the corner of Station Road and Wilmslow Road and two in the centre.

 

Coun Burkhill said: “The CCTV was set up by Macclesfield borough council before its demise.

 

“It has created a safe village centre where once we had youths, usually from outside Handforth, running riot, residents robbed carrying take-away food and pensioners’ handbags being snatched.

 

“CCTV in Handforth has been a positive asset and pays for itself in reduced crime and anti-social behaviour.

 

“Now it seems that unless we pay a contribution we will not have the service upgraded or monitored.

 

“This is just another stealth tax on our residents and upon our parish council’s funds.

 

“It seems to me that Cheshire East is more interested in cutting costs and valuable services like this and not caring about the consequences.”

 

The service costs about £700,000 a year, an average of £2,695 per camera, but Cheshire East is not obliged to provide it.

 

CEC leader Michael Jones, said: “We are not intending to pass on responsibility for CCTV cameras to town and parish councils.

 

“We simply want these bodies to buy into the surveillance and protection of our people. We are asking them for a contribution to the running costs.

 

“Where no commitment is made the cameras will remain in place but this will be on a record basis only, meaning they would not be actively monitored by our operators or be maintained or replaced.”