SECURITY cameras in Wellington Park have been moved to more strategic positions and to blend in with the surrounding bushes and trees.

Wellington Town Council – which has taken responsibility for the much-loved park – had CCTV installed earlier this year to try to deter vandalism and to catch on camera those who do actually cause the frustrating and costly problems.

But, there was criticism that the positioning of the CCTV cameras was totally wrong with Cllr John Thorne describing their siting as ‘horrendous’.

The cameras are powered fully by solar panels – a move to avoid having to dig up the park to connect the CCTV system to the mains power.

And the council’s open spaces manager Darren Hill admitted at an environment committee on January 21 that the solar panels which came with the CCTV poles stuck out like ‘sore thumbs’.

Cllr Thorne, speaking at the same meeting in January, said: “I think we have got it horribly wrong and I am glad to hear the cameras and poles can be moved.”

Two months on, and Cllr Thorne was delighted to hear that action had been taken to reposition the CCTV cameras.

Mr Hill, speaking at the council’s environment committee meeting, said the cameras had been ‘installed in the wrong spots’.

He told councillors there had been an unfortunate misunderstanding in communication with the contractor, and the spray paint markings – which had been put down to show where the cameras were to be installed – had washed away.

But he said that the CCTV cameras had now been successfully moved to more appropriate positions within Wellington Park.

Cllr Thorne said: “I am glad to hear about the CCTV and that the cameras will be hidden away more – that is very welcome news.”

Wellington Park has been plagued with vandalism problems down the years.