DOZENS of arrests were made in St Austell in the first half of the year thanks to CCTV, according to figures presented to town councillors.

Statistics from the CCTV operation covering the town show there were a total of 64 arrests from January to June.

The operators witnessed hundreds of incidents in the same period. The highest number of incidents was 284 in May, while the lowest was 162 in February. The total number of incidents during the six months was 1,251.

St Austell Town Council runs the CCTV service in partnership with Newquay Town Council, with both towns being monitored from a centre in Newquay Police Station.

Five additional cameras were ordered for St Austell earlier this year. Most parts of the town centre are covered.