SECURITY in mid-Suffolk's outlying towns and villages has received a blow with the scrapping of a mobile CCTV camera initiative. High costs have forced Mid Suffolk District Council to pull out of a scheme to plant mobile CCTV cameras around remote towns and villages in the area.

SECURITY in mid-Suffolk's outlying towns and villages has received a blow with the scrapping of a mobile CCTV camera initiative.

High costs have forced Mid Suffolk District Council to pull out of a scheme to plant mobile CCTV cameras around remote towns and villages in the area.

Despite the scheme being described as a "priority", councillors withdrew the scheme after in-depth studies revealed that the cost of operating the scheme would be in excess of funds currently available.

Home Office funding of £62,350 would have contributed to the set-up costs, but made no provision of operational costs.

Potential stumbling blocks posed by the government's human rights and data protection legislation would limit the use of the cameras to where there is evidence of "significant" crime or disorder activity. It could also mean that parish councils would only be able to operate the cameras with the help of costly administrative support from the police or district council.

Reduced opportunities for using the cameras would lead to a reduction in contributions to operating costs from partners in the scheme. The greater administrative costs that would then be placed on the district council would be "too great a burden", said officials.

Penny Otton, leader of the council, said the decision was taken "because it has to spend public funds wisely".

"There is disappointment across all parties that this scheme which would have helped make Mid Suffolk an even safer place to live, has had to be put aside. Mobile CCTV cameras are a local priority and we are determined that mobile CCTV cameras will be on the agenda for future years.