Security is being stepped up at Airedale General Hospital, Steeton, with the introduction of more closed circuit television and security guards.

Guards will be on duty patrolling the corridors from Monday to Friday - at present their patrols are restricted to weekends and evenings - when the new security contract takes full effect in May.

And more closed circuit television cameras will scour the western car park, giving full coverage to the 1,100 parking spaces in the hospital grounds.

CCTV has been so effective that last year only one car was broken into and one set of spotlights stolen.

Richard Fisher, Airedale NHS Trust commercial services boss, said: "Before we had the system working three or four cars a year were stolen. That figure was starting to pick up because thieves were moving from other areas which had CCTV, like Keighley.

"I am reluctant to give full details about the scheme or the number and location of the cameras for security reason."

He said a new contract had been clinched with the company Control Parking Plus, which was in charge of both the security in the hospital and in the car park.

"There have been no significant increase in problems in the hospital - there can been problems with patients in accident and emergency on Friday nights and occasionally in mental health - but we want security staff to be available more frequently to support the nursing staff," he said.

He stressed that the new contract was self-financing through the revenue raised by car parking charges.

"We are not taking any money out of patient care but car parking charges will be going up in August."

But he said the contract followed the strict guidelines set down in the Government's secured car parking scheme.

* From August parking fees will raise by 10p on the present rates of 40p for up to two hours and 60p for between two and four hours. The rate of £1 for between four hours and 24 hours will rise to £1.20.

The annual staff charge will also increase from the present £46 to £50.

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