Cathedral in row with heritage campaigners over plans to install CCTV cameras to stop crime

A cathedral has landed itself in a row with heritage campaigners over plans to install CCTV cameras to spot vandals.

Gloucester Cathedral, which dates back to 678 AD, has been granted planning permission to install 17 CCTV cameras after a 'significant' increase in crime.

The cathedral said in the first six months of 2017 it was subject to 56 incidents of crime.

Cameras are due to be placed on three homes directly opposite the cathedral - numbers four, six, and 17 College Green - as well as the north-eastern churchyard and the Cathedral library.

There are also due to be cameras placed on the Great Cloister, on Miller's Green behind the cathedral, and on the coffee shop.

In a design statement, cathedral architect Antony Feltham-King, said the project was taking place in order to make “suitable provisions to reduce crime in and around the Cathedral Precincts”.

However Gloucester Civic Trust disagreed with the cameras being installed on listed buildings in the area.

"The panel is at a loss to understand why this clutter needs to be added to the listed buildings of the city's premier conservation area,” the trust said in a statement.

"They could instead be attached to various lamp posts and other street furniture which is already in place."

The new security measures will be paid for by Home Office funding for 'Vulnerable Faith Institutions'.

A spokesman for Gloucester Cathedral said: "The wellbeing and safety of our visitors is a key priority.

"Although rare, there have been occasions in the past when incidents of anti-social behavior have taken place within the Cathedral grounds.

"The Cathedral has processes in place to report incidents of this nature to the relevant authorities and has recently been granted planning permission to enhance existing CCTV systems across the site."