The 495 cameras which cover the town were last year responsible for more than 12,000 incidents being reported to police.

Under new plans unveiled by the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC), the number of cameras covering the town could increase to 727 in the future, a jump of 47 per cent.

The move is part of a £473,000 scheme designed to upgrade the town's current video CCTV system to a state-of-the-art digital network, which would also cover the crime-hit Brackmills industrial estate.

The chief executive of the WNDC, Mike Hayes, said: "This is all about the future of Northampton. People clearly have concerns about community safety and crime, and CCTV has a very good track record in helping tackle that.

"I'm also very pleased about the expansion of the system into Brackmills. It has a bad reputation for vehicle crime at the moment and this is a positive way of combating that."

It is believed the new cameras would be put up over the coming years as the town expands, but work on updating the current system could start as soon as March.

The money which has been secured by the WNDC for the project is made up of Government cash which was originally earmarked for other towns, but never spent.

Northampton Borough Council's cabinet member for community safety, Councillor Brendan Glynane (Lib Dem, Delapre), said: "Without CCTV a lot of crimes in Northampton would go unsolved, so I think this is the right way to go."

The move has also been welcomed by crimefighters in the town.

Chief Supt Paul Phillips, chairman of the Safer Stronger Northampton Partnership, said: "Northampton has an excellent CCTV system, which greatly benefits the people who live, work and visit the town, but we need to invest to ensure it remains at the cutting edge."

Northampton was one of the first towns in Britain to get a comprehensive CCTV system when the network was launched in 1992. As well as the town centre, where talking cameras were launched last year, there are also cameras in areas such as Bellinge, Duston and Thorplands.

The new system in Brackmills would be designed to prevent crimes including lorry-jacking. The WNDC is set to approve the project later this month.