The first cameras on a new CCTV network for Lye have been installed as part of a £1.7 million scheme.

Councillor Laura Taylor, Dudley Council’s community safety chief, toured the town centre today to see progress on the work. It is part of a major upgrade of CCTV cameras across the borough, with enhanced imagery and the ability to see detail from hundreds of metres away. Councillor Laura Taylor, cabinet member responsible for CCTV, said:

"There has been a lot of work going on in the background at Lye to pave the way for these new cameras. I am delighted to see the cameras going in, and once they are live, they will make a huge difference to everyone living, working or visiting Lye.

"The cameras will help the outstanding work being done in the area by the council and volunteers, and I am pleased that we have been able to invest in this much needed resource."

own centres in Halesowen, Dudley, Stourbridge and Brierley Hill are now complete. Other key areas have also been added to the programme of work including Sedgley town centre and Castle Gate and Coronation Gardens, in Dudley.

The scheme is the biggest overhaul of closed-circuit cameras in the council’s history and replaces old and outdated cameras, which suffered repeated breakdowns and costly repairs. It is being done in partnership with police and gives much clearer images of sites which can help in catching and prosecuting offenders.

A new high-tech, highly secure control room went live last month which is capable of monitoring more than 100 cameras at once.