A high-bandwidth microwave link carries live images to a police control room with maximum speed and minimum degradation of picture quality. Police can monitor and respond to incidents more rapidly and record images 24/7 for use in subsequent prosecutions.

Chubb has had similar success in the neighbouring towns of Cleveleys and Poulton, also in Wyre Borough Council. In the months after CCTV was introduced in Poulton in December 2006, figures indicated that criminal damage was down by almost 50% and violent crime had been reduced by 30 percent in the town.

Wyre Community Safety Partnership provided funding for the project and Councillor Graeme Cocker, Chair of the Partnership, is delighted with the reassurance that such technology can bring to the residents of Fleetwood: "CCTV schemes elsewhere in Wyre have increased the feeling of safety in the communities where they operate," he says. "They have reduced crime and tackled anti-social behaviour, which have always been our priorities.

"We're confident that the presence of cameras will make Fleetwood a safer place to live, work and visit," he adds.

The Wyre Community Safety Partnership has already secured funding to deliver additional cameras to the town. Ultimately, the system will be expanded, with a central monitoring centre in Fleetwood to integrate cameras from Thornton and Poulton.

In the future, police officers might have images sent directly to a hand-held device, enabling them to respond more rapidly to incidents as they occur.