CCTV operators spotted a fire at a Bridgwater play park

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CCTV teams in Somerset reports hundreds of incidents – including fire and handbag theft

Paul JonesNovember 24, 20250 Comment0

CCTV operators in Somerset have reported almost 700 incidents to police in the last three months, new figures reveal, including a fire spotted under a climbing frame in Bridgwater.

The incident was among a total of 690 detailed by Somerset Council’s CCTV team, and prevented more serious damage at the play park, in the Northgate area.

Meanwhile, the team has also responded to almost 400 footage requests from police to assist investigations, including one case in which an operator successfully guided police to an offender who had stolen a woman’s handbag.

The CCTV service is funded by city, town and parish councils across Somerset.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, Somerset Council’s lead member for communities, housing and culture, said: “These figures underline how vital our CCTV operators are to community safety. Thanks to their hard work and dedication criminals are being apprehended, serious incidents are being prevented and vulnerable people supported.

“We are grateful for the continued support and funding we receive from our town, city and parishes councils, alongside this we recognise the importance of having state-of-the-art technology and are rolling out upgrades across the service.”

After the incident in Bridgwater, Cllr Tim Mander, chair of Bridgwater Town Council’s Amenities Committee, said: “We are appalled by these senseless acts of vandalism, but we are immensely proud of the vigilance shown by the CCTV team and the swift response from the fire service. Their quick actions prevented what could have been a far more serious incident.

“Our parks should be safe havens for children and families, and we will continue to do everything possible to protect and maintain them.”

The Somerset CCTV team figures from September to November:

690 incidents reported to police and emergency services
391 Police footage requests actioned by the CCTV team
408 incidents proactively detected by CCTV operators

CCTV systems in Burnham-on-Sea and Street have recently been upgraded to high-definition cameras, with upgrades in Taunton, Wellington and Shepton Mallet, in progress, the council added.