Todwick: Parish council seek CCTV at rec

Parish council vice-chairman and chair of the recreation committee, David Gregory, said that whilst Todwick “is not plagued” by problems, there are issues to be addressed.

One incident over the summer saw the village pavilion broken into, with fire extinguishers set off and chairs thrown around the building.

Mr Gregory said: “When we contacted police, one of the first things they asked was if we had CCTV.”

“The hope is that it would act as a deterrent if people knew their faces would be recognised.”

The second reason behind the decision is something which Mr Gregory acknowledges is small compared to other areas - dogs.

He said: “We have a no dogs rule on the recreation ground - there are lots of children who play there, and dog mess is a health hazard.”

“It’s only a very small percentage of dog owners who seem to ignore the rules, but when challenged in the past we’ve been met with nothing but foul language.”

“We’ve sought legal advice, and believe that with CCTV in place, we could name and shame the culprits.”

The parish council are currently seeking quotes for CCTV systems, with the aim to have them installed as soon as possible to prevent further incidents.

Mr Gregory continued: “I that if you compare Todwick to other areas in the few miles around, our problems can seem small.”

“Nevertheless, we are custodians of public money and have a duty to offer the best facilities we can to the local residents.”