ABERGAVENNY Town Council is to give the Friends of Bailey Park money towards a CCTV camera in a move to deter anti social behaviour.

The voluntary group asked the council for help as they are making a bid for a grant from the Lottery Fund and need some help from the council in support.

But councillors were anxious that any camera should be linked to the new CCTV centre at Blaenavon. The town council finance committee had recommended that a grant be given to the group of up to £4,000 subject to further investigation.

Councillor Martin Hickman said three councillors had visited the new CCTV centre at Blaenavon and they discovered that there will be a charge of £750 per camera for monitoring.

Councillor John Prosser suggested allowing the grant to buy a camera and then maintaining it as part of the town's CCTV circuit. He said this would be welcomed by everyone.

He added: "We've all heard about the night time shindigs and the burnt hedges, etc so this grant will enable them to get lottery funding to contribute towards the running costs when it is part of the town's network of cameras. Either we pay for CCTV or we don't, but there is no reason why it should not be part of our package."

Councillor Samantha Dodd said at 7pm last Saturday night the play area was full of people and it was very noisy. She said: "The amount of rubbish left behind like pop cans as well as lager cans was unbelievable and with one other person I collected the majority of the litter on Sunday morning. If a camera is installed it would need to be monitored and the residents would appreciate that very much. It is quite off-putting for the people living in the area."

Councillor Marion Pearse said she would rather spend £4,000 on a person being in Bailey Park who could engage with the young people using the park.

The mayor Councillor Norma Watkins said the camera would be used to monitor the damage and anti social behaviour in the park especially late at night. She said there was a difference between the new play area being used by children than by older people.

Councillor Dodd said the new play area is fabulous but warned it will be damaged if use is not monitored because the equipment would not stand the weight of older people when it was designed for children.

Councillor Jane Foulser said a camera would not stop the bad behaviour in the park or curb the drinking that goes on, and she felt a person patrolling the park would act as more of a deterrent.

Councillor Prosser said the project is part of an initiative by the Friends of Bailey Park to apply for lottery funding and they would be short-sighted if they did not support this project.

Councillor Melissa Toombs said: "This is a two-fold situation, we need a camera as well as people power. I don't know how we can provide that unless the voluntary group can help provide people presence."

Councillors agreed to give a £4,000 grant to The Friends of Bailey Park and contribute towards the running costs of CCTV.

• Ruth Powell on behalf of Bailey Park Friends said: "It is heartening to see the enthusiastic response by children and parents to the completion of the long awaited new play area in Bailey Park.

"Consultation and co-operation between Monmouthshire County Council and groups such as Friends of Bailey Park has resulted in this project which has been made possible with development grant funding. It is now hoped that the area will be respected as a safe environment within the park for the benefit and enjoyment of young children."