Row over 'white elephant' CCTV
.
Some residents believe the cameras are actually dummies, while others claim they had never worked.
However, West Berkshire Council insists that the cameras do work - but that they suffer from “intermittent problems” caused by heavy rain.
Tilly Caitlin, manageress at Market Hair, said: “A mobile phone was stolen from the salon on December 15 last year. Two girls came in when we were very busy and asked to use the toilet.
“We tend to be trusting and of course said yes. When they had gone, we realised they had stolen the phone. We asked police to review CCTV footage because that could have identified them, or at least shown which direction they left in and whether they had a car. We never heard back.”
Stylist Abi Willcock said: “Some of our older customers are frightened to walk down past the church at night because they know the cameras are useless.”
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: “The whole village knows the cameras don’t work and some people think they are dummies. There are youths in the square causing trouble right beneath the cameras because they know it, too.”
Villager Doreen Snook said: “Why was more than £60,000 of the village budget spent on a system which has never worked? A maintenance contract has been in action since the system was installed around 18 months ago, yet no repair is evident.
“Why was this expenditure agreed for a system that is obsolete before it was installed? Like other so called maintenance in Lambourn someone is not doing the job they are paid for.”
Mrs Snook added: “The ‘no left turn’ sign is abused by countless vehicles and six months ago a highways engineer said he would monitor the situation. he has been unable to complete the task because the camera is not working.”
Spokesman for West Berkshire Council, Keith Ulyatt said: “The CCTV Cameras in Lambourn have been working since their connection to the control room, but there have been intermittent problems.
“Extreme rainfall recently has caused some water and damp in the camera poles which has caused some of them to shut down on occasions. We are sourcing equipment that would routinely re-boot the systems automatically which would solve the problem.”