Council ‘appalled’ by crime spree and police teams target the thieves

HYNDBURN council said they share the concerns of traders and are ‘appalled’ a the persistent targeting of Warner Street businesses.

Councillor Clare Cleary, portfolio holder with responsibility for Accrington town centre, said a new CCTV camera will be installed in the next few weeks which will be fed directly to police.

She said:“We are committed to working with the traders and the police to put a stop to the burglaries and in maintaining Warner Street as a vibrant and attractive shopping environment.

“I am pleased to report that we have an additional CCTV camera on order which is scheduled to be installed in the next couple of weeks.

“Once fitted, the full length of Warner Street to the front will be fully covered by CCTV monitoring 24 hours a day which will directly feed to the Police.

“Warner Street is within a conversation area and therefore externally mounted metal security shutters or grilles will not normally be considered acceptable under planning policy.

“However, planning policy does consider the use of internal grille shutters to windows and doors and from our experience these are equally as effective as external shutters in deterring vandalism.

“Traders are encouraged to contact the Council’s Planning Department for more information and advice.”

A police spokesman said: “We investigate all cases reported to us and make sure that victims get the support they need. Victims are at the heart of what we do and we strive to get the best outcome we can for them.

“We take reports of burglary very seriously and since January we have secured jail terms totalling over 60 years for some of our most prolific burglars.

“We are also reinvesting in proactive target teams across the county whose role will include tackling burglary.

“There is always room for improvement and we will strive to do the best we can to keep the people of Lancashire safe and feeling safe.”