CRIME might not pay - but combating it definitely costs money, Bridport town councillors agreed this week.

Members of the finance committee were backing plans to increase local car parking charges to help pay for the town's new CCTV cameras.

West Dorset District Council needs to increase takings to help meet its commitment towards funding the operation of the crime busting surveillance system.

The committee heard the plan was to increase, on average, charges by 10p an hour in most short stay parks in the town. These include Rope Walks, South Street, Wykes Court and East Street where new first hour charges would rise from 30p to 40p.

All day charges at long stay parks at West Street, East Street, Hope Terrace and at the Magistrates' Court will rise from £1.20 to £1.40. The rates of 30p for an hour and 70p for four hours would remain unchanged. Annual season tickets are set to rise from £125 to £135 and quarterly charges are up from £40 to £42.50 under the proposed increases. The popular shoppers' permits at £12.50 for six months will be retained with no increase.

Chairman Roger Draper said this was where the costs and charges for CCTV kicked in. Nothing had been added last year because of the fragility of the local economy.

Coun Tony Tiltman said he did not like the increases but the CCTV had to be paid for.

Coun Sandra Brown said if they did not increase the car park charges they would have to pay for the CCTV through the council tax.

"So it's as broad as it's long. We always knew we would have to pay," she said.

But Mayor Geoff Ackerman said the charges at local car parks were high enough and he opposed the increases.

The committee heard that there were no plans to increase car park charges at West Bay because of the current harbour defence works. But the charging period is being extended from 7pm to 9pm.

And the district council is proposing to introduce a 20p an hour charge on bikers who stop there. A report says up to 100 motorcyclists can arrive in the resort on Sundays or Bank Holiday Mondays, congregating around the turning island in front of the George Hotel.

Often they caused obstructions and currently they paid nothing to park.

Now the district council is proposing to Continue to use George Island for bikers but provide an overflow area at West Bay Road or Station Yard car parks.

Introduce charges at both locations of 20p an hour.

Retain an option to utilise seven bays in front of the George Hotel on summer Sunday and Bank Holidays if absolutely necessary.

Monitor the situation over next season and review it at the end of the year.

Press of the early design, consultation and implementation of traffic management and environmental improvements in this part of West Bay to optimise the space available for bikers against other space needs in the locality.