All eyes on Lerwick as nation's CCTV capital

Published on Saturday 22 November 2008 18:37

THE people of Lerwick are to become among the most watched in Scotland.

The capital of Shetland – last week named the best place to live in Britain – is to get the same state-of-the-art CCTV system as Glasgow and Edinburgh, but with far more cameras per head of population than Scotland's better-known crime hotspots.

Lerwick will get one camera for every 535 citizens, compared with 1,530 in Scotland's biggest city and 2,800 in its capital.

Shopkeepers in the town are hoping the 250,000 system will protect their prized flower baskets next summer – after they were effectively turned into litter bins last year – as well as deter more serious crime, which is rare on the islands.

The 14-camera network is provided by fire-and-safety firm Scotshield, under a contract with Shetland Islands Council.

Its installation was delayed because so many of the cameras had to be put up on historic buildings in Lerwick's heart. It was first scheduled for last summer, then this month, but will not now be in place until March.

Eric Anderson, of Scotshield, said: "Lerwick may be one of the most remote islands in Scotland but it is still subject to the same security issues as the big mainland cities.

"Our radio-controlled CCTV system will provide the police with real-time images and can be used during daytime and at night."