SURVEILLANCE cameras around Teignmouth are reducing crime.

And concerns that they are being used Big Brother-style to spy on law abiding people are unfounded, a leading local councillor has assured the public.

The town is now protected by 17 of the latest technology CCTV cameras, which are doing exactly what was expected, the town council heard on Tuesday.

They monitor the town centre, seafront and the Bitton House areas, and have recorded a variety of offences being committed, including assaults, drunkenness, vandalism, affrays, antisocial behaviour, and even a drunken driver.

But the cameras are so effective that there is a fear those involved in antisocial behaviour are moving to the fringes of the town centre, where they are out of range.

Town clerk Dave Tickell mentioned this side-effect to councillors, and said some troublemakers were going to Eastcliff.

But the cameras can detect them moving in that direction, and the operators are able to warn the police, who then go there, and confiscate any drink and keep an eye on the situation.

The councillor who helped mastermind the system, Terry Falcao, gave a glowing report on the success of the cameras since they were switched on earlier in the year.

He detailed some of the incidents picked up on the cameras, and said they had led to several successful prosecutions, and identified many other suspects.

They are providing valuable evidence for the police in their investigations.

Since the cameras have been in action, there has been a significant reduction in many crimes, compared with the same period last year.

Cllr Falcao said that Teignmouth police chief Insp Chris Shaw was delighted with the system. There was also praise for the volunteers who monitor the cameras into the early hours from a control centre, and immediately inform the police of any trouble.

And Cllr Falcao pointed out that the set-up could also help to clear people who might be wrongly accused of an offence, by showing exactly what happened.

Mr Tickell added: It is a highly sophisticated CCTV system, and people need to know that. Offenders can quite clearly be identified, and the cameras are always watching.

Cllr Geoff Bladon, who was chairing the finance and general purposes committee, emphasised the cameras were not intended to spy on the public.

They are there to help protect the public, and drive down crime. They are very, very effective and doing an excellent job.

It is making the town a safer place for all, and I congratulate Cllr Falcao and the whole team involved, he said.