Some bemoan the rise of Big Brother-style surveillance, but today residents and businesses in a Norfolk town warmly welcomed the arrival of five cameras to protect them from criminals.

Some bemoan the rise of Big Brother-style surveillance, but today residents and businesses in a Norfolk town warmly welcomed the arrival of five cameras to protect them from criminals.

The streets of Gorleston, one of the last in the county to get CCTV, should be safer after the town's system was launched in the

High Street, which has recently been plagued by shoplifters and thieves.

It is also hoped the new security measures will help boost Gorleston's economy, which has seen several shop closures in the last few months.

The £40,000 scheme and its five cameras are funded by EnterpriseGY and supported by police and businesses.

PC Pat Bailey, crime prevention officer, said: “CCTV helps reduce crime, increases public and business reassurance, creates a secure trading environment and improves police detection rates.”

A new company - Gorleston CCTV Ltd - has been formed to operate the cameras from a secret location and the crime- fighting scheme will run in conjunction with high- visibility police patrols and the Shop Security radio scheme.