CAR park charges in key car parks in Clitheroe could be raised by 5p to help pay for a new colsed-circuit TV system in the town.

Ribble Valley Council's chief executive David Morris suggested the rise as one way of obtaining revenue to meet the £67,000 per year running costs for the 20 crime-busting cameras which will be installed in Clitheroe, Whalley and Enterprise Park, Barrow.

The increase is thought could realise around £15,000 in increased revenue.

Already the Home Office has given strong indications that it will meet the cost of installing the state-of-the-art scheme to the tune of almost £700,000.

All that is required now is for the Ribble Valley Crime and Disorder Partnership to submit its final bid by May 18 and the money will be in the bag.

However, one condition of the grant is that the running costs are going to be met annually.

At a meeting of the council's policy and finance committee, members were asked to consider pledging £55,000 of the cost after the police said they would donate £2,000 per year and around £15,000 would be sought from local businesses.

But the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Coun Howel Jones, said though he felt the scheme was laudable, he felt fighting crime was essentially a police matter and that Lancashire constabulary should meet the council at least half way.

But Insp Bob Ford argued that the £2,000 pledged by the police was in itself unusual but it was a goodwill gesture after the previous scheme installed six years ago proved to be sub-standard. The police have never paid for CCTV systems, instead they provide the manpower and the 24-hour cover and response."

A specially-called meeting of the crime and disorder group earlier in the week sought to address the misgivings of the council even though it voted to support the scheme subject to details of the final bid.

"Members made very valid points. It is a lot of money to find and we will do our best to encourage businesses to support the scheme which will make both Whalley and Clitheroe much safer," he said.

The car parks are a mixture of long and short stay. It will mean parking for an hour on the short stay car parks will go up to 30p, up to two hours 65p, up to three hours 1.25p and over three hours £6.05p.

Charges at long-stay car parks will be 65p for up to four hours and 1.25p for up to 10 hours.

Guy Purvis from Ginger Pumpkin, a graphic design company in King Street, Clitheroe said: "I am sure people will not mind paying the extra for the added security."

David Brass of Banana News, Castle Street, Clitheroe said: "I don't think it will cause any unrest. It is a modest increase which will make the car parks safer."