Crimefighters at Bradford Council are pushing ahead with the expansion of the city centre CCTV system, buoyed by a new survey showing it reassured the public.

Officials are hoping to expand the existing network of cameras, installed in 1990 in one of the first schemes in the country.

And they are hoping to strike a deal with the mobile phone operator Vodaphone. The new camera poles would double as telephone masts.

Officials say this will reduce the £500,000 cost of extending and modernising the scheme because Vodaphone has offered to pay for the camera poles and would pay rental on them.

Councillors will be asked to give the go-ahead to further talks with Vodaphone at a meeting of the Council's highways sub-committee next Tuesday.

A report to the committee says: "The overall cost of providing full coverage of the city centre has been estimated at £450,000 to £500,000 including a new control room.

"The partnership agreement with Vodaphone, if approved, could significantly reduce this amount by providing infrastructure at nil cost and a possible rental income."

Sub-committee chairman Councillor Phil Thornton, said: "We wanted to expand the network anyway, but if we can link up with Vodaphone it means we can do it sooner."

The Council has quizzed about 4,000 people about their views on CCTV cameras and say the results show most are in favour.

However the plan has come in for criticism from anti-CCTV campaigners at the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford. Tony Grogan said: "This represents a complete waste of money. Officials told us that a survey of 7,000 households showed that 60 per cent of people supported CCTV and 40 per cent didn't - which is a majority, but hardly clear-cut."

A straw poll by the Telegraph & Argus found that people appeared to have no qualms.

"If I came out at night I would be glad of the CCTV cameras. Being watched doesn't worry me. If you aren't in the wrong it's nowt to worry about," said Winifred Dean, Little Horton.

Naiella Kohser, 19, of West Bowling, said: "Normally I wouldn't walk down an alleyway or a subway, it can be spooky, but cameras make it safer.

"I don't agree it's an invasion of privacy. In the areas where CCTV cameras are, there isn't much privacy anyway. The cameras are good protection."

Naveed Khan, 33, of Queens-bury, said: "More cameras have got to be a benefit. People who criticise them must have something to hide."

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