Frustrated business leaders in Silsden are calling on residents to take a tenner off their council tax and put it towards a new £10,000 CCTV system instead.

Silsden Business Watch chairman John Lohan and member David Thornton claim that Bradford councillors are not doing enough to secure the funding necessary to get the CCTV scheme off the ground.

And they are calling on residents to make the £10 deduction from their council tax as a protest and way of raising funds for the initiative.

Business leaders want to put up the closed-circuit cameras in the town centre as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour.

Mr Thornton said: "We have elected Bradford councillors but no-one is prepared to get off their backsides and get us money for the CCTV cameras.

"We seem to be getting stonewalled and both John and I think it is time to start looking at funding this privately. We have explored the possibility of holding rate payments back.

"The business watch is constantly coming up against barriers put up by Bradford Council, but if you look at the town centre there is vandalism and graffiti that is going on and no-one is doing anything about it.

"We are well aware of all the pitfalls with CCTV -- what we need is a leg up.

"We have been going for 12 months and, with the exception of the Christmas bonanza, I'm concerned that we are not taking any pro-active steps against anti-social behaviour.

"We don't want to get to the stage where we see shutters and barriers on businesses in Silsden."

Craven Conservative councillor David Emmott (pictured), who is chairman of Keighley Anti Crime Partnership and Keighley Area Committee, has called on the group to hold tight until anti-crime co-ordinator Chris Slaven returns from his holidays.

Cllr Emmott said: "There is nothing we can do until Chris comes back from his holidays because he is the one organising the application for funds. When Chris comes back we will do something about it.

"I can't see the point of jumping up or down when the money will be there."

Mr Lohan said the aim was to erect the closed-circuit cameras along Kirkgate and Briggate to capture any troublemakers on film.

Persistent offenders and even their families would then be excluded from using shops and services run by business watch members. They say that once up and running the system could be extended to other vulnerable areas in the town.

Town councillor Chris Atkinson said the council tax protest would only be effective if it was supported wholeheartedly by residents.

Cllr Atkinson said that the efforts might be better concentrated on ensuring there was adequate police cover. And he was calling for a judicial review of local police services.

Cllr Atkinson said: "By all means withhold part of your rates, but you may only get half a dozen people doing that.

"I think we would be better looking at this legally because we feel we are not getting the proper cover. Shop windows are getting broken every week and it has got to the position where people can't get insurance any more."

The issue of police provision in Silsden was to be debated at yesterday's town council meeting.