KIRKBYMOORSIDE'S bid for cash help from the Home Office towards a CCTV security system for the centre of the market town has been turned down.

The government office at Leeds has told town clerk Robert Horne that it would not be possible to fund the cameras directly, but it provided funding to the Ryedale Community Safety Partnership and it was up to that group to decide how the money should be spent.

But, said Mr Horne, the partnership's priority was to target drug misuse in Ryedale.

However, Inspector Neil Burnett had said that the Chief Constable, Della Cannings, was taking a positive view of the value of CCTV and he believed that such a system was needed in Kirkbymoorside.

It had been proved in Malton, Norton and Pickering that CCTV had a significant effect in reducing crime.

Ryedale Cameras In Action which pioneered the CCTV scheme, had said that the cost of providing a fibre optic cable from Malton to Kirkbymoorside would be prohibitive, but a ISDN-broadband system was a possibility.

Two cameras would cost between £20,000 and £30,000, Mr Horne told the town council.

It is possible that one camera could be provided with funding from various sources and Inspector Burnett is to be invited to attend the next meeting of the town council to discuss the CCTV system.

Coun Tony Clark said he had reservations about security cameras, and believed Kirkbymoorside would benefit from improved street lighting.

"We do need CCTV because of the trouble we have had in the town, but the street lighting needs upgrading, otherwise the cameras will not be effective."

The council agreed to ask North Yorkshire County Council highways department to investigate the possibility of providing better lighting in the Market Place, West End, Piercy End, Crown Square, Church Street and High Market Place.

Updated: 10:48 Wednesday, April 30, 2003