SIX new CCTV cameras have been installed in a Caerphilly town to help tackle crime.

The cameras have been installed at key locations in Rhymney with adjoining lights and aim to help Gwent Police tackle vehicle crime and fuel theft in the area.

They are located at Lady Tyler Terrace, Church Street, Hill Street, the junction at Merthyr Road, Dan Y Graig and the A465 viaduct junction in Pontlottyn.

The cameras can be moved to nine other locations and are part of Gwent Police’s Safer Streets project in Rhymney.

The force was given £299,777 of funding from the Home Office earlier this year. The funds – which is given to forces across England and Wales to deter cand fight crime – are being used by the force to deter crime and increase home security in the Moriah, Pontlottyn and Twyn Carno wards of Rhymney focusing on burglary, robbery, theft and vehicle crime, which are the most common neighbourhood crimes in the area.

The project was introduced to residents in August and offered home security advice as well as assessing each individual’s needs for additional security measures such as improved door and window locks, dusk-to-dawn security lighting, indoor lighting timers and residential CCTV doorbell systems.

As part of the Safer Streets project in Rhymney, Gwent Police is:

•  Helping increase home safety by offering free home security equipment, including improved door and window locks, to those who need them;

•  Helping protect residents’ valuable items from theft by delivering free property marking kits and accompanying signage;

• Helping protect vehicles from crime through the installation of new public space CCTV cameras.

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Residents have also been given free Smart-Water and UV pens to allow them to mark their possessions which makes it easier to track and return them if they are stolen. This was done by the force’s We Don’t Buy Crime team.

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Gwent Police’s lead on acquisitive crime, Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, said: “We want our communities to feel safe in the areas in which they live.

“All crime has a negative impact on the public, so any measures we can take to tackle these issues and make people feel less fearful of crime is a step in the right direction.

“The tactics we’ll be using in Rhymney, as well as Pillgwenlly in Newport, are not only designed to prevent and reduce crime but also help people keep themselves, their loved ones and their cherished items safe.”

Cllr Nigel George, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for public protection, added: “We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Gwent Police on this targeted project to tackle the issues being experienced in a specific area within the county borough. 

“The safety of residents is paramount and we’re confident these measures will prevent such crimes occurring, whilst also offering reassurance to the local community.”

For more information on Gwent Police’s Safer Streets work, visit Safer Streets | Gwent Police.