AN initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour in Princetown has been launched.

Dartmoor Forest Parish Council (DFPC) has announced that it intends to install CCTV within Princetown to tackle anti-social behaviour which it says the village experiences ‘every winter’.

Princetown is a popular destination during winter as it is the highest settlement on Dartmoor and one of the first areas that sees snowfall.

But this enjoyment causes havoc with residents who witness irresponsible drivers using the roads to race on the snow and ice, trespassing in pasture fields containing livestock, leaving gates open and blocking road access with inconsiderate parking.

DFPC chair Gregg Manning said: ‘Our message will be very clear, if you want to drive badly in snow and ice, doing donuts and racing against the clock and putting residents and possessions at risk then you are not welcome.’

The CCTV will have cameras with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) capability which will allow cars involved to be identified.

The proposed location for the cameras is outside Princetown Visitor Centre looking up the road to Dousland, down to Two Bridges and up towards Dartmoor Prison.

The footage for the camera will be sent to the head unit based at Princetown Post Office and will not be monitored 24-hours a day but used only when there is an event to be investigated. Information on vehicles can then be submitted to police.

Fundraising for the system — which is expected to cost in the region of £10,000 — has begun and so far £1,550 has been raised through donations from Dartmoor National Park, local group Crafty Dartmoor Divas and a borough councillor.

Mr Manning added: ‘The CCTV is not cheap but it has to have the quality [images] that the police can accept and it has to be able to survive against the extreme weather in Princetown. We looked at other traffic measures and other options and we came to the only option which was CCTV.

‘Every single winter we experience anti-social behaviour.

‘It causes devastation and people are unable to sleep — for an older person this can result in an element of fear.

‘We are doing this to improve the quality of life for people in Princetown.’

A JustGiving page has been set up, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/john-druett-2 for more information.