East Coast CCTV Could be Upgraded Following Vandalism

CCTV systems in Sutton on Sea could be upgraded following a fire that left three chalets severely damaged.

12:39 07 July 2022

A fire in Sutton on Sea has left three chalets at the Bohemia Promenade severely damaged, the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue has confirmed. This incident, which is being considered arson, has resulted in renewed calls for CCTV to be extended all the way along the seafront as well as localise the monitoring office to make investigations easier for police. 

 

Councillor Adrian Benjamin said: "The key thing is that at the moment the police have to go to Boston or Skegness to look at the monitoring screens and we're so thinly stretched police-wise in this area anyway so the distance they have to travel makes it difficult.

 

"The good thing about the plans now looking likely is that we can have some monitoring screens at the police station in Mablethorpe. We also want the CCTV upgraded because there are some good cameras at the moment but the thing is that whilst many of the central beach huts on the promenades are covered by them, they don't cover the back of the huts where people might be coming in over the dunes.

 

"CCTV identification can be difficult but if we have them right along the seafronts at Mablethorpe, Sutton on Sea and Sandilands then it might stop people carrying out arson. The town council has a budget set aside for this so I am actually quite optimistic that we could see some changes in time for the height of the summer."

 

"We recently had a meeting with the contractor from East Lindsey District Council, who we'll be doing this in partnership with as they are well placed to fund a lot of the ongoing maintenance and to sort out legal issues such as with privacy. We at the Beach Hut Owners Association have also said that we can step in if there is a funding shortfall because this is a job worth doing and I am someone who just likes to get things done."