DUDLEY Council has denied 40 per cent of CCTV cameras used to fight crime across the area do not work.

The claim came in a budget meeting where Conservative councillors asked for confirmation that monitors for Dudley, Stourbridge and Halesowen were not manned for five days over the Christmas period.

Cllr Steve Clark, who is the opposition Conservative Group spokesperson for finance and legal services, speaking at a meeting of the borough’s cabinet this week, also claimed 40 per cent of the crime fighting system’s cameras were not working.

Questioning a £500,000 plan to relocate the CCTV control room from Sedgley police station to Dudley town centre, he asked: “I believe the CCTV was out over the Christmas period for a full five days throughout the borough and that 40 per cent of cameras are still not working.”

He added: “So is that expenditure justified here, is it going to take care of all those issues?”

Cllr Peter Lowe, Labour cabinet member for finance, said he did not have details about the period over Christmas but added the relocation was intended to ‘provide a far more efficient service going forward’.

The council has since released a statement denying Cllr Clark’s claims.

Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for regeneration, planning and economic investment, said: “As with any ageing camera system, there will be faults with some of the cameras from time to time, but we work hard to get them up and running again as quickly as possible.

“We are currently looking at ways to upgrade the cameras and the way they are monitored as part of our clear commitment to keep people safe, but that would be subject to appropriate funding.

“Despite speculation about the number of cameras out of action, out of the 79 cameras we manage, only eight are currently down, but we are working as quickly as possible to repair them.”

Cllr Ahmed added: “The budget proposals are about upgrading the cameras and software with a new modern, digital system as well as relocating the CCTV control room, currently in Sedgley, to Dudley, making it more efficient in monitoring the borough.”

  • A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Cllr Angus Lee had raised the issue, when in fact it was Cllr Clark.