LIDEN and Eldene shopping centres could be the latest to benefit from CCTV cameras.

Swindon Council has allocated £6,500 from its £41,000 government crime-fighting fund towards developing a scheme to cover Eldene.

And Liden Councillor Pete Brown (Lab) said he has already collected £5,000 from businesses and community groups towards the cost.

Both proposals have yet to go back to the council for approval and take another 18 months to be put in place, according to Coun Brown.

The total cost of both CCTV projects is likely to be around £50,000 and could be met by a combination of the council, local businesses and central government.

The Liden Scheme is being supported by Western Challenge Housing Association whose flats at Cromer, Briarswood and Sheringham would be protected by the cameras.Residents will be consulted over the next two months.

The scheme would also cover Rosewood Court sheltered housing for the elderly.

The cameras would be maintained and monitored by Swindon Council.

Swindon Services has a control room on Barnfield Road where public CCTV cameras are monitored 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

Coun Brown said: "People have been beaten up and there has also been vandalism and graffiti. We've got to make our communities and particularly the centres of our communities as safe as possible."

He said a similar scheme last year in Cavendish Square has resulted in 90 prosecutions.