A CCTV camera in Callington's Saltash Road Car Park will deter anti-social behaviour but not stop youngsters from using it as a place to socialise, said the town portreeve this week.

The move to install the camera has come about through talks between Callington Town Council, young people, local police officers and the anti-social behaviour co-ordinator from Cornwall Council.

The town council has chosen this option above closing the car park at night.?With a 360 degree pan the camera will also cover the adjacent park.

Complaints to town councillors about young people congregating in cars at night and using abusive language, screeching tyres and playing loud music have going on for some time but youngsters responded to criticisms in an article in the East Cornwall Times last October.

They asked the council not to tar everyone with the same brush as the majority of people who met there did not cause any disturbance.?They made a plea not to close the car park at night.

Portreeve Jeremy Gist said he had fought 'tooth and nail' not to shut the car park because it would just move the problem somewhere else.

He said: 'I think that would be a knee-jerk reaction. Nine out of ten people who go up there are as good as gold and they need somewhere to meet up, to socialise.

'With this CCTV camera the police can keep an eye on the car park and various other places like the recreation ground and Saltash Road.'

'We, as a council, are trying to alleviate the problem without penalising those who do not deserve it.

'We do not close things, we try to improve them and that is why we still have things like bus shelters and public toilets in Callington.'