Police chiefs are in talks with businesses in the north Hamilton area over proposals to install CCTV cameras.

Court Street, renowned on the Island for drug dealing, and the surrounding district could come under the watchful eye of the cameras, if given the go-ahead by Government and the Police.

Some 37 CCTVs were installed in Hamilton in January last year and became fully operational in August.

Police have praised their success in reducing crime and said they have not only caught criminals, but prevented offences happening.

However, the CCTV scheme was not extended to the north of the city -- which some people said was the area most in need of them.

Two or three businesses in north Hamilton have said they were not in favour of the Big Brother-style security, but yesterday the North Hamilton Business Association said it was eager to see the cameras up and running.

And a spokesman for the Police said preliminary talks were being held between officers and people who have businesses in north Hamilton to discuss the possibility of taking CCTV further.

The Police spokesman added: "Talks are underway, but it is in the very early stages at the moment.

"We are unable to say what will happen because they are only preliminary talks.'' Spokesman for the business association, Carvel Van Putten, said the group had always been in favour of having CCTV extended right across the city.

Mr. Van Putten, who owns Carvel Jewellers on Court Street and Wentworth Pawnbrokers, said: "There were a couple of people that didn't want it, but most people are ready to accept it now.

"I have been robbed a couple of times in previous years, so I think that CCTV would be an asset to me and my businesses. It would keep an eye on me and my product.

"Anything that helps to prevent crime and catch criminals, we want to be a part of. The business association is certainly behind any plans to bring it to this area.'' Secretary of the Corporation of Hamilton Roger Sherratt said CCTV was now the responsibility of the Government and Police, although he still had a role in it.

And he said not only did he want to see the north Hamilton area come under the view of security cameras, but also the Pitts Bay Road area, along from Front Street.

However, he said he was waiting for Belco's telephone company Quantum to be sold to another operator, as it installed the fibre optic system for CCTV in advance of cameras going up.

He said: "It's a first class system and Belco was very good to support us through Quantum, by putting in this system.

"We want to see it extended to the Court, Angle, Princess and Ewing Street area, and it could well expand from there, as well, if we get the consent of people.

"The Corporation is concerned about crime in the north Hamilton area and wants to see that district develop well. The best way to encourage development and new business there is to reduce crime and anti-social activities, particularly in Court Street. CCTV can do that.'' The Royal Gazette reported last month how Belco was hopeful of completing the sale of Quantum any time soon, which it bought two years ago in the hope of launching it as competition to Bermuda Telephone Company.

However, legislation was not in place to enable it to compete properly and Belco lost a substantial amount of money in the investment and has been looking to sell it since.

But Government has made changes to legislation to improve Quantum's ability to compete and is also hopeful that the sale will go through soon.

Mr. Sherratt said if Quantum was never sold, the CCTV system could still be extended, but he preferred to see the current optic fibres used because they were of particular high quality.

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