Crime rates on a Northampton industrial estate have been slashed following the launch of CCTV cameras and regular police patrols.
Before the crime reduction measures were taken in 2009, the Brackmills Industrial Estate was one of the UK’s hotspots for lorry crime.
Now, thefts from lorries have been cut by 95 per cent and reported crime is down by 50 per cent.
Ian Taylor is the dedicated Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) for Brackmills.
He said: “On a daily basis, I do high-visibility patrols and visit businesses so there’s a link between the police and businesses. We don’t really get any major problems on the estate any more.”
Ian Ferguson helped set up the Brackmills Improvement District (BID), which funded both the CCTV cameras and the estate’s PCSO patrols.
He said: “Back in 2009, Brackmills was one of the top five places in the country for criminal gangs to come to.
“But lorry theft has now virtually disappeared, it’s just not an issue now.”
The Brackmills Industrial Estate is home to offices for a number of significant companies, including Travis Perkins, Panasonic, John Lewis and Coca Cola.
The estate has its own Business Improvement District (BID) which sees firms pool money to tackle crime and litter and develop initiatives to save firms money.
As well as CCTV and policing, the BID also paid for 88 street lights to be turned back on.
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