Plans to introduce live-monitored CCTV cameras to a crime-hit high street have been welcomed by businesses targeted by a hammer-wielding thug.
Dearman Bartlett Independent Funeral Directors and Drive Motor Spares in New Romney both fell victim to the attack in March.
Drive Motor Spares in New Romney was targeted in the incident in March. Picture: Drive Motor Spares
Shocking footage showed the moment a yob smashed windows during the late-night vandalism, leaving both shopfronts badly damaged.
New Romney Town Council (NRTC) considered a suggestion from police to install high-tech CCTV cameras along the high street at a meeting last week.
Councillors agreed to the idea in principle and have since instructed approved contractors to design a layout which ensures full coverage of the town.
Jon Maguire, co-owner of the funeral directors, says the scheme is a “great idea” after he was left facing £9,000 worth of damage.
“I think it’s a good thing because it’s security for everyone, it’s looking out for people,” the 49-year-old said.
CCTV owned by the shops affected in March showed the hammer-wielding thug in the high street, but now there are plans for live-monitored cameras to be installedDearman Bartlett Independent Funeral Directors sustained £9,000 worth of damage in the incident
“You’ve got a lot of restaurants open late at night so security for businesses and security for the general public.”
Ruth Shilling-Jennings, who co-runs Drive Motor Spares, believes the cameras would be a “huge help” for the town.
“I think it’s a good idea and would have really helped in March because the police could have seen exactly where they were going, what they were doing and what they were looking for before they’d even got there,” she said.
“We had to go for hammer-proof plastic composite glass in the end – we’ve even tested it with five strikes from a club hammer, and it didn’t leave a single mark.”
PC James Hopkins – a local officer on the Romney Marsh – submitted an email to NRTC outlining the benefits of the CCTV proposal.
CCTV footage from the incident in March showed a lone thug using a club hammer to damage the shops in New Romney. Pictures: Drive Motor SparesOwners of Drive Motor Spares have recently introduced hammer-proof plastic composite glass to their store following the incident
The 4G-enabled cameras, costing about £3,000 each, would be funded by NRTC, and would allow police to take immediate control of the system, zoom in to identify offenders, capture images of their clothing and track their movements.
This real-time monitoring would enable operators to follow suspects’ routes before officers arrive, helping direct patrols to their last known location.
The technology could prove particularly valuable when local officers are off duty, with the nearest available patrols often travelling from Folkestone or Ashford.
Each camera would require an unlimited SIM card costing £500 per year, along with an annual maintenance fee of £2,375 – a flat rate that remains the same regardless of how many cameras are installed.
NRTC member Cllr Paul Thomas – who also sits on FHDC – says that while councillors support the proposal in principle, careful planning will be essential.
Jon Maguire, co-owner of Dearman Bartlett Independent Funeral Directors, believes the scheme would be a “great idea”. Picture: Dearman Bartlett Independent Funeral Directors
“It’s a conservation area so we have to be mindful about how we do this and still stay compliant with the rules and people’s privacy,” he said.
“We’ve also had a rise in lower-level anti-social behaviour on the high street, especially the use of catapults and motorcyclists speeding at excessive speeds with no helmets.
“At the end of the day, New Romney is still a very, very safe place to live and I think that’s really, really important.”
Despite the incident in March, both businesses believe the experience highlighted the strength of the town’s community spirit.
Mr Maguire said: “It gets you down but the response we got was absolutely phenomenal – it’s blown us away.
“People really wrap their arms around you and I thought you know what, this is amazing.”
Cllr Paul Thomas explained how the proposals will need to be carefully thought out
Mrs Shilling-Jennings described the community as “brilliant”.
“I want to say thank you to everyone as we’ve had wonderful well-wishes and support,” she said.
“We only got the final fixes in the last few days and everyone is saying how good it looks again which is nice.”
Police confirmed no arrests have been made following the hammer attack.