NEW CCTV cameras have brought about strong hopes of crime reduction and prevention in Bletchingley.
Four new cameras are to be placed around the village to tackle antisocial behaviour and vandalism.
Kim Wantling, Bletchingley Parish Council clerk, said: "We have had our bus stop in the High Street vandalised before, with the glass being smashed and it will be a way of us keeping an eye on any trouble in the village."
The cameras are due to replace a system called Metal Mickey – a mobile camera which was positioned in three different areas in the village periodically.
The new cameras will be located by the Post Office, Church House, Church Walk and The Whyte Harte Hotel, and are due to be installed within the next two months. Mrs Wantling added: "When we bought Metal Mickey, which was before my time here, it was a great investment and was very good. But, because it was a portable unit, it seemed to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Hopefully with these new cameras we will have all the bases covered."
Broadband will be installed at the village hall this week, enabling footage captured by the cameras to be downloaded.
The cameras, which are currently being tested off-site, will then be installed and the footage streamed to a website.
The parish council will have access to the website, but members have maintained they will not check the footage unless a crime or incident occurs.
"We will not be watching it 24 hours a day," said Mrs Wantling.
"It is just a chance for people to feel a little safer. This is a preventative measure.
"We have not had a huge increase in crime, but we do not want one and the more people know it is there, the less likely someone will commit a crime in the first place."
About £8,000 is being invested in the scheme.
"It is good investment and will stay in the village for years to come," she added.
