CALLS have been made to renew Westhoughton’s CCTV coverage after the town council approved £1,350 of funding to replace a faulty camera in Market Street.

The town’s CCTV cameras were described as “in need of upgrading” at a full council meeting in Westhoughton.

Leader Cllr David Chadwick agreed that the standard of the town’s cameras could be improved and that they form a crucial tool in the fight against crime.

He said: “I would obviously like to improve the standard of all of our cameras, but that is easier said than done.

“It is something that I think we will have to consider sooner rather than later as we must make our town centre as attractive as possible for businesses.

“It is an important crime-fighting tool in the town centre and, in terms of this camera, the price is the going rate.

"It is particularly sensible to buy a new camera for Market Street as the Barclays nearby seems to be the bank which gets turned over the most.

“I hope it will discourage people not only from targeting businesses but also from acting in an anti-social way.”

Westhoughton mayor Cllr Christopher Peacock said widespread CCTV coverage would help encourage businesses to move to Westhoughton.

One sticking point to a total replacement job is that it would need to be funded by the town council, rather than by the police or Bolton Council.

Councillors unanimously agreed to replace the Market Street camera, given the protection it will give to the nearby branch of Barclays.

Cllr Kevan Jones had given his backing to the funding, but then questioned whether other cameras in the town could be upgraded at the same time and whether Greater Manchester Police might be able to assist in funding the investment.

The town’s cameras have been in place for about 10 years and are monitored remotely from a premises on the Middlebrook retail park.

At first it was thought the Market Street camera had failed because of an electrical fault, before experts realised it had stopped working completely.