crime-busting closed circuit television cameras are up and running in Hedge End town centre with the £83,000 eye-in-the-sky system being heralded as a big step forward in the fight against yob culture.

The commercial heart of Hedge End has been plagued by anti-social behaviour, prompting town council chiefs and traders to call for action to outlaw the young rowdies.

Now a four-camera system and help point linked to the Eastleigh CCTV control room will provide 24-hour coverage of the shopping centre, including the library and parts of Greta Park.

The project has received enthusiastic support from local traders and many have offered voluntary contributions towards the installation costs. The borough's Community Safety Partnership allocated £20,000 while the remainder of the funding has been met by the borough council.

And within days of going live, the new CCTV system provided valuable evidence and filmed footage for police officers investigating an offence.

Local borough councillor Louise Bloom said: "This scheme is really good news. I have been very concerned at the reported increase in anti-social behaviour in the town centre and I believe the new system represents excellent value for money, will help reduce the problem and give confidence to local people and traders."

Hedge End-based police Insp Paul Newstead said the CCTV system would provide residents and businesses with a valuable resource that not only acted as a crime preventation measure but also increased the feeling of safety and security within an already low crime area.

And the move has also been welcomed by local trader Jan Barfoot, who said: "I think the cameras are a very good idea that will benefit us greatly. People will feel safer on the streets, especially the elderly and frail."

Community beat officer PC Sandy Wyld said: "The cameras are brilliant. They will assist us tenfold. I particularly think that the Help Point will be very useful - especially as the cameras automatically pan on to it when activated."

One local trader believed the cameras were long overdue.

He said: "We frequently suffer thefts from both adults and children. These new cameras will hopefully help us to identify and catch those responsible.

"I would like to congratulate the council for doing something about it. Very often they just talk but here we have clear evidence of their action."