An online petition has been launched demanding the CCTV system covering Exmouth be monitored 24 hours a day.

The petition demands that 24 hour monitoring of the town's 'high tech' CCTV system be put in place to improve public safety and prevent anti-social behaviour.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) and Exmouth Town Council have responded by saying that the current system in Exmouth is being reviewed with the help of Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner and that Exmouth Town Council 'has agreed to take over responsibility [for the CCTV system] in the future' with monitoring being transferred to a central hub.

Exmouth man Ian Woolger started the petition, he said: "For many years we have had a high tech CCTV system in our town, yet it was never budgeted by the local council to provide monitoring staff to both prevent crime and make the town safer for the public.

"In light of the recent spate of assaults, unsocial behaviour, bicycle thefts and general trouble within our town, we hereby request that Exmouth Town Council provide manned cover of our CCTV system 24/7, so that incidents can be reported to the police in real time, not hours after the event."

The town's CCTV system is in fact currently funded by EDDC and manned by a group of volunteers.

Exmouth Nub News contacted both EDDC and Exmouth Town Council for a response to the petition.

A spokesperson for East Devon District Council said: "East Devon District Council has for a number of years funded a CCTV system for Exmouth, which has been staffed by a dedicated team of volunteers.

"With East Devon support, the town council is now working with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner on a plan to upgrade the CCTV system and link Exmouth's multiple camera feeds directly to a police control room for professional monitoring purposes in future."

Exmouth Mayor Steve Gazzard said: "The current CCTV system is provided by East Devon District Council and it can provide information about the operational arrangements.

"Looking ahead, the town council has agreed to take over responsibility in the future but with an upgraded system using more modern specifications and moving to a monitoring service provided by a central monitoring hub.

"A scoping exercise is currently being carried out with the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner and the local policing team in order to identify the requirements for Exmouth. Provision has been made for this in the budget."

The petition currently has 166 supporters (at the time of writing). Supporters are able to leave comments on the petition page.

Angela M commented: "Exmouth is lovely, lets keep it this way! Manned CCTV would be a huge deterrent to the crimes being reported in the area."

Jan T also commented: "The level of violence and anti-social behaviour in what should be a quiet seaside town is terrible.

"I've witnessed more violence here than in some of the big cities I've lived in. More police on the streets after pub closing would also stop a lot of this."

If you would like to view the petition, click the red button below for more information.