MUCH of Bournemouth's Lower Gardens falls into 'blind spots' not covered by CCTV cameras.

Dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour in the area is a priority for police in the town. As reported in the Daily Echo, members of a gang met teenage girls in the gardens before taking them to hotels for sex.

The victims were photographed by their abusers.

Leisure complex Bh2 made a "sizeable contribution" to CCTV footage as part of a Section 106 agreement. As a result, there are cameras near the centre and by the public toilets.

However, there are large areas which cannot be seen by operatives.

The issue was discussed during a meeting of the Lower Central Gardens Trust Board.

Councillor David Smith said: "As I understand it, Bh2 made a sizeable contribution to CCTV in the area - I remember being part of those talks two or three years ago."

Parks development manager Michael Rowland said: "There isn't coverage throughout the gardens.

"There are certain areas that are covered but we haven't got complete coverage throughout."

Speaking after the meeting, Andrew Williams, Bournemouth council's community safety manager, said: "As part of the planning process for the Bh2 development, a financial contribution was made by the developers to the council to install a number of CCTV cameras in the public space around the complex to improve the safety and security of members of the public.

"Those cameras are now in operation and also have the capability to monitor the Lower Gardens.

"There is good CCTV coverage of the main parts of the Lower Gardens where the most people congregate, but as with any public space it is unrealistic to expect 100 per cent coverage.”

Chief Inspector Bryan Duffy of Dorset Police said the force takes its responsibilities for safeguarding the public "extremely seriously".

"I would encourage anyone reading this who has been directly affected by these issues or has any information to come forward and speak to us," he said.

“CCTV is one of a number of ways in which we and our partners try to prevent and detect crime, alongside the programmes such as Hotel Watch, which involves informing and encouraging local boarding establishments to be professionally curious as to what is happening within, and providing a formal process by which concerns raised can be investigated.

"We’ve already had a number of really positive results through that.

“We must be vigilant that the spread of CCTV is both proportionate and useful, not just in the Lower Gardens, and that the public don’t perceive that they are under constant observation in a way that harms their relationship with those charged with keeping them safe.”