DORSET'S Police and Crime Commissioner has called for support from businesses in Dorchester to help "keep CCTV alive".

Martyn Underhill, who was re-elected to the role last month, says that the county town has an effective CCTV system that plays an important role in tackling crime but he needs wide ranging support to retain CCTV across the county.

He told a meeting of the Dorchester Chamber for Business that, with Weymouth pulling its CCTV out of the ferry terminal site, he was hoping to set up a countywide centre to monitor surveillance across Dorset and ensure that, unlike some forces, the county doesn't lose much of its CCTV.

Mr Underhill said: "I believe CCTV is massively important to the safety of our communities.

"I need you as a Chamber to support this because we have a CCTV system in Dorchester which is really good and we don't want to lose it.

"It would be really good if you could be supportive and help keep CCTV alive."

Mr Underhill said that one major issue Dorchester had been faced with in recent months was commercial burglary, with a spate of offences starting in Poundbury and later moving to the town centre.

He said that he was confident action had been taken to reduce this problem but admitted he had to acknowledge it was an issue of concern for the business community of Dorchester.

Other issues he touched upon during his talk to the Chamber included one of his pledges to set up a rural crime force.

He said this was based on a scheme from north Wales that had seen a reduction of 30 per cent in rural crime.

Mr Underhill said: "We have unique rural crime issues."

Mr Underhill also spoke of a public scrutiny of the non-emergency 101 service, the increased use of drones, bringing in more kits for testing drug drivers and attempts to tackle domestic abuse at an early stage.