CRIME hotspots could be targeted by roving CCTV cameras in an attempt to crackdown on thugs and vandals who have been making lives a misery.

Nine areas in Trowbridge including Newtown and the Seymour estate are being assessed today with a view to installing the cameras.

In Newtown and surrounding streets including Wesley Road, Park Street and Gloucester Road, residents have been plagued by car crime, with some having their vehicles targeted four or five times.

Cllr Graham Hedley, ward councillor for the area, said: "The main problems are when people are coming home from town on Friday and Saturday nights and I think if we could have the cameras up and working at these times it would only be a matter of time before people were caught."

Police have helped identify areas they believe will benefit from cameras.

Sgt Steve Jones of Trowbridge Police said: "Police will welcome any additional tools to help in identifying and apprehending offenders and CCTV has proved itself to be a valuable tool in combating crime."

The areas to be looked at initially have been identified by the police and include Newtown and Wesley Road, the College Road junctions with Bradley Road and Pitman Avenue, Jenkins Street and Francis Street on the Seymour estate and Woolpack Meadows.

The surveys will indicate whether there is enough signal strength for the cameras, which would be attached to lampposts and could be moved to different areas if necessary.

The work is being carried out by Devizes installation firm TH White, who will also be installing a £15,000 upgrade to the existing CCTV system in the town centre.

Trowbridge Town council agreed on Tuesday to upgrade the system to use digital technology, which will save time for the operators and provide clearer images and instantly accessible evidence to the police.

Mike Webb from TH White said: "This is the latest system. We haven't installed a non-digital system for a year and a half.

"The major benefits of the system are in the clarity of the images and that you can actually search by time and date, making it easier for the police to access evidence."

The cameras in the town are monitored through a control room in The Shires shopping centre and staff currently have to regularly change tapes, whereas far more information could be stored on the hard discs used by the digital system.

Shires security chief Vince Cortilla said: We want to give the police the best we can, which is live images as soon as possible. This will make a big improvement in both the quality of the images and in the ease of use for us and the police."