THE police's latest weapon in the fight against crime has been deployed on the streets of Craven.

Officers are currently being trained to use the £10,600 mobile CCTV camera system which is attached to a police van.

The system features a small camera fitted to the vehicle's dashboard which captures images at the front of the vehicle.

Another larger camera on the roof rotates through 360 degrees and can be used to zoom in and out on faces and registration numbers.

The material collected from the cameras, which are attached to a marked police van, will be used by officers for intelligence and evidence.

Chief Inspector Chris Chelton said the van would be used in addition to the existing static CCTV cameras located around the town.

Where the van is taken will be decided in the police's daily tasking meetings, but the chief inspector explained it would be used in the fight against alcohol- related violence and in other problem areas across Craven.

For example, the police would be able to monitor and record activity in areas like Skipton Town Hall car park, which is traditionally a meeting place for "boy racers".

Chief Insp Chelton said: "I am acutely aware that the issue with the town hall car park is still very real and that residents in the area around Rectory Lane and other surrounding streets are suffering from noise and loud music.

"Despite our efforts to prosecute where possible this problem is not diminishing to the degree that we would like and I am poised to work with the current CCTV system and the new mobile CCTV to try and make more impact in that area."

Chief Insp Chelton said the fact that the mobile camera was clearly on display would hopefully act as a deterrent.

Craven Crime Reduction Partnership bought the equipment with money from its Safer Communities fund from the Home Office.

Co-ordinator Alan Atkins said the issue of improving Skipton's CCTV coverage had been discussed by a problem solving group.

Skipton has seven static CCTV cameras dotted around the town centre which cost £42,000 a year to run.

The cameras are five years old, although the casing has recently been upgraded.

Mr Atkins said a mobile camera was a good idea.

He told the Herald: "It's not the only answer to prosecution and the detection of crime. It's an additional tool so all the traditional work from the police is still there, but this is in support of that."

Mr Atkins said the partnership was also looking into providing deployable CCTV cameras.

These can be attached to lamp posts and are designed to be quickly and easily installed and used.

They do not require cables to transmit images to the CCTV control centre. There is also a hard disk drive built in, which records what the camera sees. The cameras are intended to be used for gathering evidence and not for reactive policing.