North Norfolk District Council's (NNDC) cabinet has voted to scrap CCTV - but has given affected towns six weeks to decide whether they want to fund and run the service themselves.

Cabinet members voted unanimously this morning to axe the cameras, which cost the council about £200,000 annually, by March 31 next year.

But they agreed to contact the town councils in Cromer, Fakenham, North Walsham, Sheringham and Wells, where cameras are installed.

They will be asked whether they want to join forces and run the system themselves, or whether any of them is prepared to take on the job individually, for their own community.

If the answer to either option is 'yes', NNDC will hand over the existing camera equipment to the town or towns for free.

Once the six weeks has elapsed, any town which has expressed an interest in running the service will have a further six weeks to come up with a firm proposal.

Rhodri Oliver, NNDC deputy leader, said the council needed to find a little over £1m of revenue savings by 2016-2017.

There was no firm proof that CCTV reduced crime and the police were adamant that they could not contribute towards its costs.

'We are working in the context of the worst cuts in the history of local government, or at least since the 1974 reform act,' said Mr Oliver.

'All decisions are going to be difficult but we need to protect our front-line services, and balance the budget,'

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