Cameras give police head start

Robocop-style CCTV camera helmets being tested by police in the West Midlands have been hailed a success.

Police in the Lye area of Stourbridge have been trying out the new "head cams" which cost between £800 and £900 each.

In Lye last week week police made six arrests in the first stages of Operation Sphere, a month-long operation targeting crime in the area. Officers say the arrests were for suspected drugs related offences, and came about as result of increased high-visibility patrols and the use of head cams.

The head cameras have also been used to target bus routes in the area to crack down on crime on board.

No bigger than the size of an AA battery, the cameras fit above the ear and underneath the helmets of officers.

It is thought people will be deterred if their behaviour is filmed. Images the officers capture may be used in court to support their work to tackle anti-social behaviour. They are currently being tested by West Midlands Police after other forces across the country used them to great success.

Inspector Neil Hobson, the officer in charge of Operation Sphere, said the new devices would help in the fight against crime in the region.

The cameras are not the only crime-busting measures introduced in the area over recent months.

An alcohol ban has been drafted in to outlaw booze from the streets of Lye, which has been plagued by drunks in the past. Drinking on the streets has become a problem in Lye over the last couple of years according to traders and residents.

They called for a ban after becoming fed up with drunks congregating outside places such as Christ Church and Lye Library.

Pressure was put on police and Dudley Council who agreed to make the High Street and surrounding areas a no alcohol zone.

Anyone caught drinking, or even in possession of drink in the area can be fined £50.

And a number of fines have already been dished out.

The area is one of the only no-alcohol zones to be made in the borough.