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Gloucester Cathedral CCTV installed for crime crackdown

BBC Gloucester Cathedral (Nave)BBC
A police CCTV supervisor says there is "an awful lot of exits and entrances into the cathedral grounds"

A cathedral has installed 17 CCTV cameras in a bid to reduce anti-social behaviour around the building.

Police CCTV operators say Gloucester Cathedral grounds often act as an escape route for shoplifters because of the "awful lot of exits and entrances".

Some of the anti-social behaviour reported nearby includes theft, criminal damage and drunken behaviour.

Funding for the cameras came from the Home Office's vulnerable faith institution scheme.

Gloucester Cathedral said 56 incidents of anti-social behaviour were reported in the first six months of 2017.

Its head of development and communications Theo Platt said he hoped the cameras would mainly act as a deterrent.

"We will be installing new signage to make it obvious that there are cameras in operation," he added.

"Lots of different people use this space, we want to make sure people are safe and that it's an environment people want to spend time in."

Getty Images Gloucester CathedralGetty Images
Gloucester Cathedral has recorded 56 incidents over a six-month period

The cameras will be monitored alongside 160 others by Gloucestershire Police at their control room in Quedgeley.

CCTV supervisor Alison Wright said: "We lose an awful lot in the cathedral grounds, with regards to shoplifters who run.

"There's an awful lot of exits and entrances into the cathedral grounds, it will be brilliant we can now follow these people.

"CCTV is now expected and plays a huge part in anything we need evidence for."