Businesses on a busy shopping street in Nottinghamshire say the "problems start at night" after recent anti-social behaviour reports. Ashfield District Council has installed CCTV cameras near Outram Street in Sutton-in-Ashfield in an attempt to crack down on problems there and support businesses and residents alike.
In April this year, the council says it issued four community protection warnings as well as eight business waste inspections and one community protection notice and says it will work "tirelessly" to improve the area. They say the behaviour of certain individuals, as well as lots of excess waste being left, is making the area unsightly.
Businesses on the road say they hope the CCTV will help solve the litter problem but others say they have suffered damage to their shops by some people causing problems on Outram Street. Kaleem Khan, the owner of Creative Living, a furniture store, told Nottinghamshire Live: "There is sometimes rubbish that gets left near the back of the shop, black bin bags that get dumped, mattresses as well.
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We've also had smashed windows - the last one that was smashed was about two months ago at the front of the shop. I've been here four years and that sort of thing has been happening quite a lot. I reported it to the council and police but not much has been done about it, we don't get a lot of support. I don't know if CCTV will change a lot - people can wear hoodies and not show their face."
Dave Wilkerson, who has owned The Carpet Centre on Outram Street for the past 25 years, said: "I don't get many problems here. Although, I do know a guy who lives in a flat above a shop around here and says you do get a bit of trouble later on at night. I leave at 2pm every day - the problems start at night I think."
Another business told Nottinghamshire Live: "We've had some problems with litter in the car park. The council installed CCTV nearby around a month or two ago. It's mostly bottles that get chucked into the back where the car park is - things like that. But it's not been too bad for us."
Meanwhile Graham Mugglestone, 73, who has owned a business on the street for the past 30 years, said: "You get littering round this part of Outram Street but not much more than that near my shop. You don't get too much trouble. The main problem here I think is traffic and the wardens.
"I'm waiting for a delivery lorry now and it's had to drive away and come back because it can't park up - the traffic is always bad around here."
Cllr Helen-Ann Smith, Executive Lead Member for Community Safety and Crime Reduction at Ashfield District Council, said “We are pleased to hear positive feedback from local businesses in Sutton who have benefited from the CCTV cameras that were installed as part of the Safer Streets initiative. We want to reassure residents and businesses that we are committed to cracking down on anti-social behaviour in Ashfield. We know how disruptive anti-social behaviour can be, and with initiatives like joint patrols, additional CCTV cameras and youth engagement, we will continue to take positive action to ensure Sutton is a safe and welcoming town.
“We encourage everyone to keep reporting incidents of anti-social or nuisance behaviour to the Council and the police so we can tackle the minority who are determined to disrupt the lives of others. We will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary to make our streets and town centre safer.”
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