'Anti-arson camera' misses playground destruction

No-one was hurt when the suspected arsonist struck in September

A £4,000 CCTV camera installed to deter vandalism at a children's playground was pointing away from the play area when arsonists set part of it alight.

Cambridge City Council installed the camera at Pulley Park in King's Hedges last October to help protect a £75,000 wooden castle.

The wooden structure was destroyed by a fire on 30 September and a police investigation into suspected arson was launched.

Despite the surveillance camera, Cambridgeshire Police said the investigation was closed over a lack of evidence and said the CCTV didn't capture the incident as it was pointing away from the playground.

Officers said the footage only showed members of the public filming the event and does not show the fire or the perpetrators.

Delowar Hossain, the Conservative city councillor for King's Hedges, said the camera was typically set to face the castle but can be rotated remotely.

Mr Hossain added that it was "deeply concerning" that despite spending £4,000 on the camera the "system failed to protect the castle".

He said: "This was an expensive, vulnerable structure and, knowing the history of fires in the area, more caution should have been exercised in its design and protection."

Cllr Delowar Hossain wants to see the playground replaced with a fire-proof one

While police have access to CCTV feeds, the camera and its position is the responsibility of the Shared Closed Circuit Television Unit operated by Cambridge City Council and Huntingdonshire District Council.

Cllr Hussain told the BBC he was "deeply saddened by the loss of the wooden castle" at Pulley Park and that he was "committed to replacing it with a safer, fire-resistant alternative".

Cameron Holloway, executive councillor for community safety, homelessness and wellbeing on Cambridge City Council said: "We know how important these spaces are for children and families in the local community, and we will be funding replacement equipment.

"It is unfortunate that this incident wasn't picked up on CCTV, but it's often hard to predict exactly where anti-social behaviour will occur.

"In this case, [it was] determined that the best placement was to position the camera in a way that captured as much of the play area as possible, including the entrance."