AN ASSURANCE that security cameras are working at car parks across north Norfolk despite a spate of thefts has been issued by the the district council.

AN ASSURANCE that security cameras are working at car parks across north Norfolk despite a spate of thefts has been issued by the district council.

Ticket machines in a number of towns including Mundesley, Cromer and Sea Palling have been targeted in recent weeks by thieves using drills and angle grinders to empty them of money.

At a council meeting last week, Peter Moore, cabinet member for resources, said 14 machines had been targeted since September and it will cost about £10,000 to repair and replace them.

A further six ticket machines have been removed by the council and it is thought the council is down a total of £20,000 in lost income and repairs.

Following Mr Moore's report, conservative spokesman for north Norfolk Trevor Ivory called for security cameras to be checked. He said: “I am extremely concerned that no one has yet been caught on the very expensive CCTV cameras that the district council has installed over the last few years.

“Either the cameras are not pointing in the right direction or they are not working.”

But Mr Moore assured users of the car parks the cameras did work. He said: “We have CCTV coverage on all our car parks and I know it works. I am looking to see if they can work even better.”

He also said while Mr Ivory was right to say police had not yet caught anyone for the thefts, it had not been confirmed whether CCTV images of the culprits were available.

A working party of officers and members of the district council will meet on Monday to discuss how to stop the crime spree.