A CAMPAIGN to stop vandalism and anti-social behaviour in Shildon's Hackworth Park has been stepped up with the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance .

The CCTV camera has been mounted on Shildon Town Council's main office building to oversee the play areas in the park.

It is hoped the camera, which was purchased through a joint initiative between Durham Police Constabulary and Shildon's Community Safety Partnership, will help police and the town council in their battle against vandals.

Nearly £1m has been spent regenerating the park over the past year.

The money has been used to restore the bandstand, fountain and rest house, as well as creating a skate park and a play area for children under five.

Recently, the skate park and the play area for older children have been targeted by vandals.

In one attack the offenders left the defiant message "Hackworth Vandals Return" in white spray paint across a footpath.

Acting Sergeant Mandy Payne, of Shildon police, said: "The camera has been put up with the co-operation of the council on the side of the council building and it will be in use shortly.

"It has been put there to help prevent and detect criminal damage to our skate park and children's play area.''

The pictures recorded by the camera will be monitored at Shildon police station.

Shildon Town Council clerk Mick Waterson said the camera would complement the work the council had undertaken with Park Watch.

He said: "This is a further measure in a number of things that we are doing to hopefully reduce and prevent the vandalism and anti-social behaviour we are experiencing at the moment."

Mr Waterson said he hoped that the camera initiative might be expanded in the future, with the council working with its partners to try to identify funding for wider CCTV surveillance.

He said: "This only covers the play area and the skate park. What we would like is CCTV to cover the whole of the park."