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Leicester disorder: New CCTV cameras planned after unrest

BBC Police face protestors in Melton RoadBBC
Police initially struggled to control large crowds that had gathered in East Leicester

New CCTV cameras are set to be installed following recent disorder in part of Leicester.

Funded by £53,000 from local police and crime commissioner (PCC) Rupert Matthews, the cameras are due to be placed in areas of the city where trouble broke out.

The PCC said the cameras would fill a "black hole" of coverage in the area.

However, Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said he had concerns over how they would be monitored.

Large-scale disorder broke out in the east part of the city on 17 September following tensions involving mainly young men from Muslim and Hindu communities.

CCTV camera
The 10 cameras will cover a number of key locations in East Leicester

Mr Soulsby said the new CCTV cameras would be added to 522 that already cover Leicester.

He said the cameras would be monitored and maintained by the city council, which already spends £600,000 on CCTV a year.

"Of course I'm not going to look the gift horse in the mouth," he said.

"We hope that we'll have his cameras but he [Rupert Matthews] does now need to talk to me about how on earth we make sure that they are monitored

"The police on the ground is the thing that really does make a difference to how safe and secure people feel."

"The right direction"

Mr Matthews said funding for monitoring and maintaining the cameras was within the budget he was providing.

He said the best thing for the city was for himself and the mayor to "work together".

"The time for action is now," he said.

"People are getting injured on the streets of Leicester and as police and crime commissioner I'm not going to stand for that and I'm going to take whatever action is necessary to curb it and bring it to an end."

Community worker Rukhsana Hussain told the BBC it was "a step in the right direction".

"I think it's something we have requested in the past and I definitely think the community will feel a lot more reassured," she said.

"Hopefully having the cameras will help people to just get about their normal business again."

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