Street Angels offer help to Blackpool's CCTV

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A man who was viciously attacked in Blackpool town centre has welcomed suggestions to reinstate monitoring of the resort’s CCTV system.

Following a spate of violent incidents in the town, landlords called for Blackpool Council’s system to be manned again and suggested ways to harness revenue and volunteers to fund it.

Daniel Burgess, 42, from central Blackpool, who was attacked by two men, has backed suggestions by landlord Stephen Pierre that venues help to fund the system and volunteers be sought to man it.

It comes after council bosses said they would welcome suggestions on re-instating a staffed service again as police appealed for information on two, separate, horrifying attacks just metres from where Mr Burgess was attacked at around 1.30am on April 27, at the junction of Talbot Road and Dickson Road.

Mr Burgess, whose alleged attackers are due in court next week, said: “I’m a staunch supporter of monitored CCTV. I think it should be on whatever the cost, it would make people feel safer.”

Bar owner Stephen Pierre has said while he sympathises that reinstating manned CCTV when Blackpool Council is having to cuts millions from its budget is “not an easy task”, he believes there are ways it can be done.

He said: “Monitored CCTV is a great preventive tool against crime and offers the police real time information.

“An apportioned late night levy tax on bars and clubs which operate past 11pm could be introduced. As a bar operator I would certainly support this. Another way to help reduce CCTV operational costs is to accept the kind voluntary support offered from The Street Angels.

“With appropriate training a number of The Street Angels could spend a few hours at peak times assisting the professional CCTV operators.”

Street Angels bosses have pledged their support for such an idea. Blackpool branch manager Paul Rawson said: “We’re fully supportive and behind CCTV being monitored, I think they should have kept it on.

“If they were asking for volunteers it’s something we would certainly look into.”

Mr Rawson is a member of a night-time economy working group, set up by Blackpool Council to try to improve the town centre in the evening, with a sub-committee charged with dealing with public safety.