CCTV cameras have been installed in town centres in the battle against anti-social behaviour and crime.

Nine cameras are now in place in Sittingbourne and Sheerness which will “undoubtedly help keep people safe”, a councillor says.

It is part of Swale council’s Safer Streets project which aims to tackle violence against women and girls and received £320,000 in government funding split across two years.

The authority was supported by Kent Police and Crime Commissioner in securing the money.

Six pan, tilt and zoom cameras were installed to bolster the network of existing cameras already monitored 24/7 by the council’s CCTV control room where operators can radio in any incidents to the police through Swale Link.

These are in West Lane, South Avenue, Shortlands Road and the Retail Park in Sittingbourne as well as outside Tesco supermarket in Sheerness.

Three rapid-deployment cameras, which are mobile and can be installed in the event of an emergency or in locations that see a spike in crime, have been in use since August.

The council says the surveillance acts as a visual deterrent against anti-social behaviour as well as gathers evidence which helps the council catch and prosecute offenders.

Other measures that aim to improve the visibility of the town centres include trimming trees and improving the lighting of public spaces, like Beachfields play area.

In addition to the increased monitoring, there have also been security improvements made to anti-social behaviour hotspots such as shutters and fencing at the empty Sheerness library.

Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the council’s community and leisure committee, said: “Our CCTV control room works incredibly hard to monitor the borough’s cameras, and have had success stopping anti-social behaviour and helping catch and prosecute criminals.

“Adding to this network of cameras will undoubtedly help keep people safe, and it is the communication between our officers and Kent Police, through Swale Link, that makes these resources so effective.

“The rapid deployment cameras are also great for responding to emergencies or adding security to locations that start to see more crime, it allows us to have a pair of eyes anywhere in these town centres.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Elliott Jayes, vice chair of the community and leisure committee, said: “Safer Streets has been working to add physical deterrents and measures such as these cameras and the street marshals.

“But we are also trying to tackle the root causes of anti-social behaviour, through our youth work, community engagement like the gardener clubs and through education in our local schools.

“We are proud of the efforts we have made to make everyone feel safer in these two towns -Sittingbourne and Sheerness have a lot to offer and we should all feel proud to call them home.

“Of course, we would have liked to implement these measures elsewhere in the borough, but unfortunately the government’s safer streets guidelines required us to be targeted in order to successfully bid for these funds.”

The money is also going towards youth programmes such as Vibe's Sheerness Youth Club, street marshals to patrol the high streets and teaming up with domestic abuse charities to give out a personal safety app to vulnerable women.

The council is also offering free active bystander training and “train the trainer” events and educational workshops at a local secondary school focusing on subjects such as anti-social behaviour, drugs, alcohol, knife crime and vaping

It is also funding community engagement events alongside Sheppey Matters.