A FULLY upgraded CCTV system is going live in Gwynedd thanks to a £450,000 council investment.

The service, operational in Bangor, Caernarfon, Pwllheli and Porthmadog, aims to improve community safety.

Since Gwynedd Council's cabinet gave the green light for the scheme in 2018, new cameras and wireless system have replaced an analogue system in use for around 20 years.

The council has worked with North Wales Police, who have access to the live images, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.

The new system provides better quality images for police investigations and evidence gathering.

The wireless capability will allow the system to be easily expanded to other locations in the county as and when required in future.

Councillor Catrin Wager, Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet Member for the Highways and Municipal Services said that the new system would give 'peace of mind' to people living and working in Gwynedd.

She said: “The old cameras had reached the end of their operational life and, frustratingly, in some cases, video footage was not up to standard for evidential use.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to invest in our CCTV system – it is now considered a ‘state-of-the art’ modern system with ample flexibility to extend and deploy to areas becoming problematic within the county.

None of us know when we may be a victim of crime or when a member of our family may become lost or unwell, and we all know how footage can be used to resolve such cases.

“I’m delighted that our officers have been able to work closely with North Wales Police in designing and implementing this project, and will continue to work with them to ensure the safety and security of local people and businesses.”

Inspector Jon Aspinall from North Wales Police said: “CCTV is an invaluable resource in fighting crime, and we welcome this upgrade by Gwynedd Council.

The ability for our officers to access high quality footage immediately will mean that we will be able to react quickly to crimes and disorder.

It will also assist us evidentially when putting suspects before the courts.”