RENEWED pleas have been made to retain the current level of CCTV in Weymouth after information provided by camera operators led to a police chase and the arrests of two suspects.

Dorset Police have praised the work of staff in the CCTV operating centre after they alerted police to people attempting to break into a parking meter at the rear of the North Quay council offices yesterday morning.

Information given to the force by the operators led to a chase and officers making two arrests.

Descriptions of two men, along with their movements, were given to the police units who were en-route to the scene.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: “Prior to police arrival, two men made off towards Boot Hill and out of sight.

“Minutes later a blue hatchback was seen, again by Weymouth CCTV operators, speeding away in the Boot Hill direction.

“At that exact moment police managed to close in on the vehicle. On the back seat was clothing that matched the descriptions given by the CCTV operators.

“Subsequently two men, both aged 33 and from Weymouth, were arrested on suspicion of theft and are currently helping police with their enquiries.

“This is a great example of the good work our CCTV operators do and good partnership working.”

Police are appealing for witnesses to the attempted theft – quote incident 2/19.

The incident comes after proposals were announced in September to reduce the number of CCTV cameras in Weymouth town centre.

The borough council proposals include shutting down the CCTV operating centre and stripping back the amount of cameras.

This has been slammed by business owners and community groups, who branded the cameras a key tool in clamping down on crime.

Steve Newstead, chairman of the Weymouth Business Improvement District (BID), said the latest incident was an example of why CCTV cameras in the town centre should not be reduced.

He said: “The cameras and their operators really are Weymouth’s unsung heroes.

“The CCTV in Weymouth town centre is invaluable; it would be a massive loss to the town if there were fewer cameras.

“It’s only in incidents like these two arrests that you realise how important the CCTV and the evidence it provides to police are in terms of protecting the town.”

If the proposal is given the green light, the borough council estimate this could save it around £250,000 per year.

Ken Crafer of the Weymouth Street Pastors said: “A lot of the work that the CCTV team does is hidden from the public; the team have certainly been very helpful to us in recent months.

“Early intervention by police or the emergency services is necessary in some situations and CCTV helps massively with this.

“This recent incident is yet another example of how the CCTV cameras in the town make a difference.”

COUNCILLOR Francis Drake, community safety briefholder for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: “The borough council is facing difficult financial decisions regarding CCTV as it has to reduce the costs of delivering this service in the future.

“The council is currently in talks with Dorset Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to see how they may be able to contribute to this valuable service, which assists them in dealing with crime and community safety concerns.

“The council recognises the great work carried out by CCTV staff in assisting police and the importance of this service to local businesses and the general public.”