PARISH councillors in Calstock are to investigate the cost of installing CCTV in Gunnislake Car Park after complaints of vandalism, obscene and anti-social behaviour at night.

At a meeting of Calstock Parish Council last week residents the Rev Archibald Smith, of the Crusade Fellowship Church, and Margaret Blatchford said there was a lot of noise and bad behaviour by young people who were congregating in the car park and the area of The Orchard, Chapel Street and Hoopers Lane in the early hours of the morning.

Mr Smith said:?'My own car was smashed in the car park and just recently the car parking meter was smashed.

'Where I live I overlook the car park so have a good view of what goes on. It seems to be around 3am when these youngsters are coming back from the pubs and clubs.

'There is a lot of noise and pretty obscene behaviour. I really do think there is a necessity for a camera and I am quite happy for it to be put on the church building.'

Margaret Blatchford said it began at 1am or 2am when the bottle banks started rattling and it just escalated.

She said:?'I have had to call the police on numerous occasions. Up at the doctors' surgery the same thing is happening.

'It has got so bad that I don't think the village can cope with it anymore.'

Cllr Dorothy Kirk said she had received many reports of vandalism and disruptive behaviour and in the past. There had been reports of drug dealing going on in the area of the toilets, which were situated on the edge of the car park.

'The car park is a large, open, unlit space close to pubs and unsupervised without any type of surveillance.

'I think we should look at installing a camera there for the safety of the people who live in the centre of Gunnislake.'

Cllr Mark Yates said: 'I wholeheartedly agree. Most people go home from the pub through the car park and if there is going to be mischief it is going to happen there.'

He did add though that the CCTV had to be monitored and be a very good quality camera to identify the individuals responsible.

'Another option is to light the car park — this is the only car park in the parish which does not have lighting,' added Cllr Yates.

It was agreed to approach Cornwall Council to investigate the installation of CCTV and its monitoring.