SECURITY cameras are not working properly in Worcester amid fears criminals are getting off scot free.

The city council's 65 pan, tilt and zoom cameras have been restricted to fixed positions since May, and security officers claim the faulty cameras have allowed several suspects to escape justice.

After we spoke to the security officers, we contacted the council, which said it was replacing a central server, which controls the cameras, at a cost of £20,000.

Half the cameras had had the pan, tilt and zoom features restored while the rest would be finished next week. The spokesman added the fixed cameras still gave a high level of security.

However, a security officer who works in the city but did not want to be named said: "It's ridiculous. They haven't been working since May.

"It's incentivising crime. They can't move. All because the council won’t pay to have a server replaced."

Another security officer, who also did not want to be identified, said there have been numerous incidents where suspects could have been caught if the cameras were working properly.

He said: "They weren't moving for months and months. It makes it really difficult."

"The server is hooked up to all pan-and-zoom ones across the city. You can still view the cameras but they can't pan or zoom."

A Worcester City Council spokesman said: "We are in the middle of getting the new server online.

"The cameras have to be done one at a time. Each one has to be migrated to the new server."

Police have cooperated with the council to station the cameras in fixed positions, monitoring the busiest areas of the city centre.

The council spokesman added: "The city council’s network of 65 CCTV cameras is continuing to provide a high level of security in the city centre, and it would be wrong to suggest otherwise."

He added while the cameras still play a role in gathering evidence, they are just one of the tools available to the police.

Chief Insp Jeremy Reakes-Williams said: "Alongside this CCTV we also scrutinise CCTV from local businesses, engage with victims, potential suspects and seize forensic opportunities.

"West Mercia Police work closely with Worcester City Council to effectively utilise the city's CCTV system to prevent and detect crime."