RESIDENTS in the Bromsgrove area who are targets for criminals and thugs will soon be able to catch the culprits on camera.

A new crime-busting scheme is being introduced by the Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership offering mobile closed circuit television cameras to victims of unreasonable behaviour.

Councillor Peter Whittaker, (Con-Tardebigge) Bromsgrove District Council's cabinet member responsible for community safety, said: "We are determined to do all we can to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour throughout the district and to make people feel safe and secure whether they live here, work here or just come to visit."

The 'personalised' CCTV scheme has been joint-funded by police and Bromsgrove District Council and will be operated by local Neighbourhood Watches (NHW).

Mel Clarke, the area's NHW administrator, said: "The cameras are for people who are experiencing crime and anti-social behaviour and they will be focused on specific sites in a bid to catch the offenders.

"We have three sets of cameras available and requests will be judged on merit. We already have an area within the district that has had a 'private' CCTV scheme for some time and it has proved a very effective deterrent against, crime, with a reduction of over 90 per cent in criminal damage and anti-social behaviour figures.

"We hope that with the extra sets of equipment available to NHW we can also reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the remainder of the Bromsgrove area."

The new camera scheme will be run by Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators who will attend a special presentation evening on how to install and operate the cameras in accordance with guidelines and protocols. It will be held at The Council House, in Burcot Lane, on Tuesday, June 7.