£100,000 for cameras and enforcement officer to tackle fly-tipping, dog fouling and youth disorder across Sunderland

The measures are set to see new cameras rolled out across north Sunderland in an attempt to snare culprits.

The cash will also fund the recruitment of an additional enforcement officer ‘dedicated to the area, but also supporting what is being delivered throughout the city’.

Allison Patterson, Sunderland City Council’s area coordinator for the north, added: “The officer would not only work on environmental crimes, but would also be a visible presence in the area.”

The city council’s North Sunderland Area Committee agreed to fund the ‘North Area Enforcement and CCTV Project’ to the tune of £110,000.

It was prompted after members of the panel asked for surveillance equipment to be installed in hard to monitor areas, such as back lanes, in the hope of deterring ‘ environmental crime and anti-social behaviour’.

The bulk of the money will pay for a two-year contract for a new enforcement officer, to provide education, advice and support’, as well as tackle and deter crime.

In addition, the funds will be used to buy three ‘4G mini dome camera systems’; three wildlife cameras and a ‘fixed talking camera’.

The budget also includes provision for moving cameras, as well as new batteries, memory cards and ‘air time’ for transmitting footage.

Locations for the new devices have not yet been agreed, but will be considered by the area committee’s North Area Place Board, which will look at ‘hotspot areas’ and other priorities for the new scheme.

Nicky Rowland, the city’s environmental services manager for environmental enforcement, said: “Location [of the cameras] can be as fluid as members want it to be.”

She added: “[The current enforcement officer] has more evidence than he can investigate, by bringing more cameras we will capture more things, so we asked if, when bringing in more cameras, could we also have another officer to look at that information.”