THE Mayor said that an arrest made by police following a burglary in Wellington had highlighted the importance of closed-circuit television in the town.

The monthly police report which went before Wellington Town Council on Monday (July 1) referenced an overnight burglary at a home on the Cades Farm estate whilst the occupants were away.

“I’m pleased to report that through some prompt enquiries and an identification from CCTV footage by my team, a suspect was arrested and some of the outstanding property recovered,” said Sgt Jon O’Connor, of Wellington Police, in his report. “The suspect remains on bail pending further forensic enquiries.”

The Mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, told councillors that she was pleased to read about the positive police work in respect to the burglary.

“It just goes to show how important the CCTV is to the local community and the police,” she said.

Earlier this year councillors agreed to finance the crime-busting CCTV cameras in the town as it was an essential piece of equipment in the police’s armoury to try and get successful convictions.

There had been concerns that the CCTV cameras could have been switched-off for good as part of cash-strapped Somerset Council’s widespread cost-cutting exercise.

Sgt O’Connor had previously told councillors that good CCTV evidence made it much easier to complete successful prosecutions of people in court proceedings.

There had been fears that without CCTV coverage in the town, crime would escalate with offenders knowing the cameras were not switched-on and watching their every move.