CCTV watchers can’t keep an eye on a notorious trouble-spot for vandalism and violence – because of a problem with a lamp-post, it was revealed today.

The top of Bent Hill in Felixstowe is one of the worst areas for late-night and early hours incidents with residents complaining they are often plagued with noise, shouting and fighting as people make their way home from seafront venues.

The area should be monitored by crime-busting CCTV – organisers of the scheme have even bought the camera – but it isn’t covered.

In fact, the camera hasn’t been put up because the new lamp-post earmarked for it won’t take its weight.

Now councillors are desperately trying to find the �1,100 needed for a new lamp-post.

One resident said: “It’s horrendous – the noise is unbelievable.

“I have had three wing mirrors kicked off my car at �175 a time.

“They are fighting and kicking each other, all drunk, and then at the taxi rank they fight again when a taxi turns up and someone jumps the queue.”

Mayor Doreen Savage, chairman of the community CCTV working party, said: “We have the camera ready and waiting to be fitted at the top of Bent Hill but because of difficulties with the lamp-post it would not be stable enough to take the equipment required.

“We need to get Bent Hill covered as soon as we possibly can because there are a lot of problems in this area on a Friday night and a Saturday night.

“The Town Pastors are doing a brilliant job but we need to get the camera there. Residents and businesses are getting fed up with people urinating in doorways and causing damage.

“We have got the whole of the area covered with cameras except this one spot – we have just got to find the money from somewhere.”

County councillor Nick Barber said county council budgets were stretched to the limit but he and fellow councillors John Goodwin and Graham Newman would speak top officers to see if they were allowed to use some of their locality budgets towards the new column for the CCTV camera.