CCTV has helped track down a vulnerable adult who had travelled hundreds of miles away from Wiltshire.

Footage from Devizes was circulated with police forces across England during the incident which took place earlier this month.

It marked one of the first major investigations for the CCTV network, managed by Noel Woolrych, since the system was moved from within the Peppermill Hotel to St John’s Street.

Many of the details of the story cannot be revealed as they form part of wider police investigations, and because the person who went missing is classed as vulnerable.

“It was all incredibly quick,” recalled Noel.

The missing person had last been seen on a Saturday in early July, and it was thought that they was travelling to the north of England.

Concern grew and Noel was contacted the following day to track the person’s final movements in Devizes.

“I was given a rough time and a rough place as where to start,” said Noel.

Hours of footage later, Noel found the subject in the Market Place and was able to provide multiple pieces of CCTV imagery to Wiltshire Police.

They in turn circulated the footage with other police forces across England.

“The cameras are so good now that we had very clear footage, it means that police could describe not only how they looked, but also how they walked and exactly what they were wearing,” added Noel.

Noel, who had began investigating on Sunday afternoon, was thanked by police at 10pm.

After sharing the footage, a different police force had traced the missing person who was later taken back to Devizes.

“We were all so happy to have had a good ending,” said Noel.

“Having so much of the town covered now really does mean we can respond to anything. It can take a lot of time when you’re working with rough timeframes, but ultimately you’ll find what you’re looking for. And the quality of the cameras is really just brilliant.”

Other recent tasks for Noel have included tracking a missing cat for people who live in Monday Market Street - after Noel was able to spot it climbing through a window.

Noel’s new set-up means a streamlined approach to the more serious cases of crime across Devizes.

He said: “We were at the hotel for nearly two years, and we didn’t have to pay rent the entire time. And all that money we saved went into more cameras.

“It was a really good two years. But there are significant advantages here - we don’t need to run cables through a building anymore, and the space we have here really is ideal.”

“Our landlord is really keen to have us here and she really recognises the importance of CCTV in the town.”