BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has praised a £200,000 scheme to improve security cameras for cutting crime in Padiham town centre.

The Home Office released the cash to extend CCTV coverage in Padiham, enhance the current town centre scheme and relocate the control room, together with funding allocated from the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and Basic Command Unit in Burnley.

CCTV provides extensive coverage of Burnley and Padiham Town Centres and has played a vital role in crime and disorder reduction across the constituency.

Burnley MP Mr Pike asked Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety Hazel Blears how much public funding had been spent on CCTV cameras in Burnley since 1997.

In a written reply, she told him that Burnley claimed £198,526 to extend existing CCTV in Padiham, enhance the current town centre scheme and relocate the control room as part of the Crime Reduction Programme.

She went on to say that other crime reduction funding had been allocated directly to the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and Basic Command Unit in Burnley to fund a number of interventions including CCTV, but that these figures were not held centrally.

Mr Pike said: "CCTV has proved to be invaluable in helping to tackle and reduce crime and disorder in our town centres both in Burnley and Padiham.

"With BAND, CCTV and other town centre initiatives we are enjoying less trouble in our town centre at the weekend.

"The Labour Government have been investing in funding crime and disorder reduction initiatives, not only by increasing the numbers of police on the streets, but by introducing community support officers, neighbourhood wardens, investing in CCTV as well as direct action against anti-social behaviour.

"Burnley recently became an anti-social behaviour Action Zone, and all of these things added together mean one thing, that Burnley and Padiham's streets are becoming safer places."