POLICE arrested a suspect in the early hours of today during testing of Accrington's new closed-circuit TV system.

Staff monitoring the town centre cameras saw a man trying to break into a vehicle.

A 19-year-old local man was arrested and charged with attempted theft.

He has been bailed to appear before Hyndburn magistrates at a later date.

The network of 14 cameras covering the whole of Accrington town centre went 'live' at 6am today.

Detective Inspector Jim Oldcorn, head of Accrington CID, said: "Cameras were being tested during the night in preparation for the switch-on.

"Let's hope this first arrest augurs well for the future."

The £230,000 CCTV system will be officially opened a week tomorrow by the new Chief Constable of Lancashire, Mrs Pauline Clare, and the mayor of Hyndburn, Coun Mrs Jean Battle. The cameras are part of a package of crime-prevention measures for which grant aid has come from central government under the Single Regeneration Budget initiative.

The control room is in the main police communications room at Accrington police station.

Monitoring staff are being employed under contract from Remploy, the government-sponsored agency that encourages disabled people into employment.

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