Police and Crime Commissioner, Caroline Henry, secured £550,000 from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund after submitting a successful bid on behalf of the residents of Sutton to make women and girls in the area feel safe and be safe.

Part of this funding will be used for three state of the art 4G HD Safe Refuge CCTV cameras – the first-ever cameras like it in country.

These highly-conspicuous cameras will be able to connect straight through to the police control room and show the controller a live video feed of the area at the push of a button, providing an instant police response to any resident in need of help. Residents will also be able to speak directly with the controller in the police control room and vice versa.

The bid to the Home Office was developed in consultation with the police, local authority partners, Ashfield MP Lee Anderson as well as residents in the Sutton and New Cross area. Yesterday Commissioner Henry walked around Sutton with Ashfield’s Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, Inspector Mark Dickson, and Lee Anderson MP to determine whereabouts the cameras will be installed.

Commissioner Henry said: “I am delighted that through the funding I secured, we can be pioneering in our approach to tackling violence against women and girls.

“These cameras will offer a level of instant police response previously unseen, act as a deterrent to criminal activity and a pIace of refuge. I hope that women and girls feel reassured in the knowledge that if they feel unsafe, they can activate the camera and speak to someone directly in the control room.”

Lee Anderson MP said: “This is fantastic news for the residents of Sutton Central and New Cross who have for far too long been left behind and forgotten about.

“Since being elected I have worked closely with local police, along with residents of the Sutton and the New Cross area to make it a safer place. A massive thank you to the Police and Crime Commissioner, Caroline Henry, who has been brilliant throughout and has secured £550,00 funding by working with myself and the Home Secretary to make sure the residents of the area are not forgotten about.”

Superintendent Kevin Broadhead, of Nottinghamshire Police, said “CCTV cameras can play a vital role not only in detecting and solving crimes, but also in preventing offences from happening in the first place.

“This exciting and innovative use of camera technology is an excellent example of crime prevention and I am delighted that it is being rolled out in the local area. Safer Streets money is starting to make a real difference to our ongoing work to make everyone feel safe.”

Cllr Helen-Ann Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Crime Reduction at Ashfield District Council said: “These cameras will act as a real deterrent and help to create a safer environment for everyone, especially residents of the New Cross area. It is important that residents feel safe within the communities they live.”