CONCERN and criticism over the possible installation of CCTV in Hatherleigh is premature, according to the town?s council. Councillors have been left incredulous at the widespread derision in the regional press this week in response to their preliminary investigations into the possibility of placing new CCTV cameras on Hatherleigh?s industrial estate. The town has one of the lowest rates of recorded crime in Devon and Cornwall. Press reports over the past week have scoffed at the fact that Okehampton rural west ? the policing area that covers Hatherleigh ? has had ?only 138 crimes? recorded in the last 12 months and they have suggested that the town council is guilty of ?using a hammer to break a nut?. But Hatherleigh Cllr Dennis Bater said: ?It?s not about a crime problem, it?s about preventing crime. ?If we?ve got a low crime rate, let?s keep it that way.? He said there had been a recent increase in theft, trespass and anti-social behaviour which was causing concern to business owners on the town?s industrial estate. He said one man had fuel stolen from his tank so many times that now he has had to stop leaving it there, and has erected a sign stating there is no fuel stored on the premises. Another has had recurrent problems with illegal fly-tipping into the skip his business needs to keep on the estate. Another has had problems with youths climbing on the roof of his business unit. And there have been many reports about youngsters racing around the industrial estate in cars and doing dangerous hand-brake turns. In response to these problems, the business owners have approached the town council about the possibility of installing CCTV. Hatherleigh?s new community centre already has the equipment to support and monitor six CCTV cameras, as well as a radio link which means it can connect to cameras at a distance of up to three kilometres. Clrr Bater said: ?We don?t know yet whether the businesses on the industrial estate can legally point cameras onto the street or only onto their own properties. ?If they can point them onto the street, then the installation of cameras will just be an arrangement between them and the community centre, without the need to involve the council. ?It?s still very early days, it?s just something that?s being talked about at this stage.? In response to allegations that the town council could spend ?thousands of pounds? on the installation of the cameras, he stressed: ?Nothing?s been decided, and no money?s been spent except for the cost of one stamp sending a letter to the community safety officer.? There have also been reports in the press of local opposition to the scheme. Cllr Bater said: ?There are eleven places in Hatherleigh where you can already be caught on CCTV.? He said the abattoir in the town had a CCTV system which recently caught a would-be arsonist.