CLOSED-CIRCUIT television cameras are to be installed at three trouble hot spots in north Durham.

Permission for the scheme has been granted by Derwentside District Council's planning committee.

They will be installed on 12-metre poles in Front Street, Lanchester, Woodside Grove, Tantobie, Stanley, and in Sherburn Terrace, Consett.

The council consulted all three communities and received some comments opposing the schemes.

Tantobie residents' comments were included in a report to the planning committee.

They said: "The worst trouble spots will not be covered. It if were placed on the grass below 31 Woodside Grove it would cover the park and the children's playground, deterring off-road mechanised bikes and people using it as a driving range for golf, both a danger to children and a nuisance to residents and police, who are called in."

In Consett, one couple fear the camera's position is inappropriate.

They said: "The erection of a 12-metre pole with a CCTV camera is an invasion of our privacy as this camera will scan directly into our home."

Planning officer Tom O'Connor advised councillors to back all three applications.

He said: "Once installed, the cameras can be combined with Durham Constabulary's surveillance system and will not only improve crime safety but act as an effective deterrent against crime.

"It is anticipated the proposals will deter crime and increase personal safety and should therefore be welcomed by members.

"With respect to any possible privacy concerns, it should be noted that the CCTV cameras would not be used in such a manner as to interfere, or prejudice individuals' legal rights to privacy.

"While privacy would normally be considered as a material planning consideration in determining an application, in this instance it is the operators of the scheme who are responsible for ensuring the proper use of the cameras."