Residents in Great Yarmouth have been reassured CCTV in the town is monitored 24/7 following footage which emerged last week of a man waving a knife.

Eastern Daily Press: A man was filmed with a knife in Great Yarmouth. Picutre: SubmittedA man was filmed with a knife in Great Yarmouth. Picutre: Submitted (Image: Archant)

Town centre manager, Jonathan Newman said there are 60 CCTV cameras in the town centre which cover all the main routes through Great Yarmouth.

In the last 12 months the CCTV control room has been involved in over 2,500 incidents and helped to make 700 arrests in the town centre.

A video which surfaced last week shows a man waving a knife outside of a family restaurant in King Street.

Mr Newman said: 'I can reassure people that the CCTV operation we have in place is monitored very closely and helps to make the town a safe place.

'We have various crime reduction schemes in place which have proved to be successful and make Great Yarmouth a safer and more enjoyable town for visitors and residents to be.

'Although the number of arrests may seem high, the most important aspect of this is that something is being done about the criminal activity.'

Following release of the footage business owners warned people are too scared to go onto a town centre street amid fears of a rise in violence at weekends.

The video shows a man shouting before pulling a knife out of his pocket.

A teenager captured the footage after eating at the Yankee Traveller, on Sunday November 18.

Courtney Gallant, manager at Liberty's Public House, opposite the restaurant, said she had seen an increase in violence.

Ms Gallant has worked in King Street for seven years.

She said: 'People are scared to come into town: they don't feel safe with the increase in violence.'

20pc of the reported incidents in the town centre were directly raised by the CCTV operators with 50pc originating from the police following reports from members of the public.

The remaining incidents were raised by town centre street wardens and businesses directly via radio links to the control room.

Mr Newman has stressed the importance of residents reporting any criminal activity they see to aid the effectiveness of the process.

He said: 'If people see something that concerns them then they should report it to the police.

'The CCTV operators can then manipulate the camera and track what is going on to help the police.'

The network is funded by a public private partnership involving Great Yarmouth Borough Council, the Town Centre Partnership and a number of other private sector businesses.