A BUSINESSMAN has slammed a crime-busting camera system as "useless" after his shop was targeted by vandals for the ninth time in less that two years.

Mr Peter Lawson, who owns Essentials by Panache operating from the former Broughton's premises in King Street, Accrington, cannot believe that his business has been hit again despite the multi-thousand pound closed circuit television system being trained on his shop.

Mr Lawson said: "We had a problem with window smashers and thieves before the cameras were installed 12 months ago but the situation has not got any better.

"Not only has it not deterred the vandals, it hasn't even monitored anyone doing it. It all seems pretty useless to me.

"I have been advised to get shutters and my own security system but I don't really want to barricade my business in like that." The latest incident will cost Mr Lawson almost £2,000, bringing him a total of over £5,000 in glass replacement alone over the last two years.

He added: "At the end of the day this mindless vandalism is costing the customer and there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it."

A spokesman for the CCTV monitoring team said: "The cameras operate through 360 degrees and it would not be fair to keep them trained on one business alone.

"Obviously the people involved in town centre crime can pick their moment when the camera is pointing elsewhere and there is not a lot we can do about that."

Mr Lawson can still see a funny side to his predicament however and he and staff have put up a notice at the boarded-up shop which reads: "Don't do what Santa did - please use the door!"

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.