A REVIEW of St Helens' CCTV system is underway with a number of changes being recommended.

A task group from St Helens Council is looking at which of the town's 100-plus cameras are working, productive and cost effective.

Councillors will consider whether the system requires partial or complete modernisation and whether cameras are still in the right locations.

They will also look at whether the system needs to run and be monitored for 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Rod Jones, a link officer from the council's community safety partnership, commented on a report that was presented to a panel of councillors at a safer communities meeting in St Helens.

He said: "We are required to complete a self assessment with our camera system.

"There are a number of issues: there are some cameras which operators have problems controlling, they can't manoeuvre the images; a camera was damaged at Sherdley Road's traveller site 12 to 18 months ago and still needs to be repaired.

"However, we need to ask if it's cost effective to fix cameras - and whether over time, some cameras need to be relocated.

"We have to bear in mind that the budget is limited."

A report states: "It has become apparent over the last few years that the capacity within the suite is no longer sufficient to meet the demands placed on the system.

"The task group heard there are certain sites in the borough where there is no coverage but it is needed; conversely there are sites of historic need where it is no longer needed."

Councillors at the meeting asked whether the system was "fit for purpose" and if a new system is required.

For comparison, the task group had visited the CCTV suite at Halton which has recently been refurbished.