A bid for security cameras in Dunmow, costing up to £50,000 looks set to be made by Uttlesford District Council.

The council plans to make a bid to the Home Office for a share in a £170 million sum to be spent on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) equipment nationally in the next three years.

Community Safety officer for the council, Clive Cooper, said: "What we are proposing to do in Dunmow, Stansted and Saffron Walden is to put in a system whereby equipment for monitoring would be in the council offices.

"We don't have enough of a problem to warrant a system of continuous monitoring, but if there was an incident in the town, the CCTV tape could be looked at.

"I see it as part of the process of regenerating Dunmow and bringing more people in to the town by making them feel safer.

"It's also a way of reducing and eradicating in time, incidents of nuisance, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour."

The proposed scheme would see around four to five cameras installed in Dunmow, costing up to £50,000.

In addition, around 12 cameras would be sited in Saffron Walden and another four in Stansted.

Maintenance costs would be shared between district, town and parish councils.

Clerk of Great Dunmow Town Council, Owen Wilson, said: "The proposal is due to be discussed at a meeting of the finance and policy committee next Thursday, when councillors will vote on whether or not to support the bid.

"As the plan would be totally funded by the Government, it looks likely that councillors will support it, but I'm not in a position to say anything is certain at this stage."

Initial bids to the Government's CCTV initiative are due by the end of this month.

Successful applicants will be informed in September.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.