HI-tech CCTV cameras are going up at known trouble spots in Petersfield - and will be working within days, recording high-resolution footage good enough to be used as evidence in court cases.

Film from the cameras at the Avenue Pavilion and its car park, Love Lane playing fields and car park and the Bell Hill recreation area will transmitted and recorded, and kept at special units in the Festival Hall.

Petersfield Town Council (PTC) has funded the £35,000 security system and its installation.

The council has also pushed the contractors to complete the work as quickly as possible to put a stop to anti-social behaviour and vandalism at all three sites.

Council spokesman Steve Field said problems at the first site to be covered by the cameras, the Pavilion and its car park, appear to have stopped already.

He added: "The cameras will recording 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.

"They are positioned so they can film people arriving and around the Pavilion, and at Love Lane and Bell they will cover the areas known to be trouble spots and the car parks.

"The cameras were specially chosen after we compared numerous makes and models.

"They are there for two reasons - as a deterrent, to put people off from vandalism and anti-social behaviour, and to provide film accurate and clear enough to be used as evidence in court cases.

"They are also high-tech and accurate enough for car number plate recognition, so we will be able to identify vehicles left parked at car parks at all three sites all day while the owners work."

The car parks are town council owned and for users of the recreation areas, not by commuters or people working in town who want free all-day parking, or those who just want to park for free while shopping.