Unobtrusive vandal-proof cameras, little smaller than shoeboxes, will be placed in crime hotspots where residents feel troublemakers can be identified.

The cameras record what is happening on the streets ? and send these pictures to a centrally located digital recorder, where the images are stored.

Residents who are signed up to the scheme will then be able to access these images from their home computer through a password-protected internet site. Up to six months of images will be accessible.