Newcastle City Council has admitted that a number of CCTV cameras have been turned off for months, possibly years, after the local newspaper revealed that a camera had failed to record a cash point robbery.
The Newcastle Chronicle revealed that gunmen who attacked a cash in transit vehicle had been able to get away without being recorded on CCTV because the nearby camera had not been working for at least four years.
According to the paper, the raid happened in full sight of a camera that overlooks a cash machine in Walker, Newcastle. The raid took place at 10am on 20 October. Two guards were threatened with a gun and one hit with a hammer in the attack. The robbers reportedly fled in a car which was abandoned and set alight shortly after.
A spokesperson for the council confirmed the newspaper’s story and said that the council has repaired the camera in question and has a programme of works in place to repair the other 17 cameras within six months.
