The city centre operation watches over Exeter 24 hours a day

A new control room in Exeter has opened and the number of cameras expanded to more than 80 around the city centre.

There will be a further 130 when the multi-million-pound revamp of the Princesshay shopping centre gets under way.

John Reynolds, manager of Debenhams and former chairman of the City Centre Consortium, said: "It makes a difference and encourages customers to come into the city in a secure and pleasant environment."

The growth of CCTV 1990 - Three town centre schemes with 100 cameras 1994 - 16 town centre schemes with 400 cameras 1994 - 1997 Home Office gives �38m to fund 585 CCTV schemes 1997 - 167 schemes with more than 5,200 cameras 1996 - 1998 CCTV accounts for more than three-quarters of total crime prevention spending 1999 - 2003 �170m made available for CCTV

The Home Office has paid �480,000 and the rest of the cash has come from local authorities, businesses, Exeter University and the city's hospitals.

The exact location of the Exeter City Council-operated control room is being kept secret for security reasons.

CCTV services in Exeter, introduced in 1996, were previously co-ordinated from Devon County Council's control room at County Hall.

A Home Office-commissioned report last year suggested that CCTV was not as useful in the fight against crime as was previously thought.

The report - which looked at evaluations of 22 CCTV schemes in Britain and the US - found that while cameras could have a marked effect on reducing vehicle crime, there was little evidence they prevented violent crime.