OKEHAMPTON and district could be in line for the latest crime busting technology if a bid by the local police for Government funding is successful.

West Devon Police are due to submit a bid to the Home Office before the summer for a share of the £100-million available for crime reduction initiatives in England and Wales.

The local constabulary hopes to install the latest digital CCTV system throughout crime hot spots in West Devon which is a lot more flexible and cost-effective than its predecessors.

Okehampton Chamber of Trade chairman Ian Bailey said the chamber had been trying to get CCTV in Okehampton for five or six years but the cost had always prohibited it.

'The expense has been in excess of what we are able to raise,' he said.

'There was a time when the Home Office offered something like a 50 per cent grant towards the cost but we still had to raise £15,000-£20,000 from the traders which was impossible to do.'

Mr Bailey said the latest device was considerably cheaper.

The new CCTV system can be accessed via the digital phone network. Police officers on patrol can see what is happening in an area by using small hand-held viewfinders which relay the image from the cameras.

It means that there no longer needs to be a base station with someone monitoring the cameras 24 hours a day.

Sgt Gary Neeves from Okehampton Police Station said until recently CCTV systems had not been compatible with low crime rural areas because the cost outweighed the benefits for such communities.

'The recent developments in digital technology have the potential to reduce the ongoing costs,' he said. 'This makes it a very viable option for West Devon.'

The officer said Okehampton and Tavistock and the smaller towns like North Tawton had a relatively low crime rate and they had not been able to access funds in the past because of the enviable position they were in.

'However, we do recognise that there is a fear of crime and there is crime and disorder committed across the area and we are looking to reduce this,' he said.

The cameras, which cost £8,000 each, recorded activity 24 hours a day 365 days a year but officers could link into them at specific times of the day from any location in the district.

'We are looking for a number of cameras for each area but we will have the flexibility if we need to move them to particular trouble spots,' said Sgt Neeves.

He added this was a good opportunity to get funding for a CCTV system in West Devon as the Government had highlighted rural areas as one of the issues to be addressed in the fight against crime.

The latest programme of funding lasted until the end of 2001.

Ian Bailey said he sincerely hoped the scheme came off: 'It is such an impressive system and CCTV is a good deterrent for criminals — this has been proved in so many towns and cities throughout the country.

'The crime rate here may be low in comparison with inner city areas but any crime is too much in my opinion and we do not want it to rise.'

He said the chamber was willing to do whatever it could to help the scheme go ahead.