A LOCAL community group is to investigate if it can play a role in helping improve crime fighting in the area by supplying CCTV cameras.

Central Fife Crime Prevention and Community Safety Panel members on Wednesday heard of recent incidents which occurred in Cowdenbeath and Cardenden and wondered if they could help local groups improve security to catch possible culprits.

Members discussed the situations at the John Thomson football facility, at Wallsgreen Park and the War Memorial in Cowdenbeath, which had seen vandalism caused.

It was pointed out there had been other situations occurring in different parts of the community and the panel chairman, Colin Bird, felt that they could be able to purchase a couple of small CCTV cameras which groups experiencing problems could use to catch culprits.

He said: "There has been these two high profile situations which have happened in this area where there has not been any CCTV footage available to help catch those who carried out the vandalism.

"I was wondering if it might be possible for us to buy a couple of cameras which organisations or the Community Police team could use to catch people causing problems of such things like vandalism."

Tom Kinnaird agreed as the panel covered communities ranging from Crossgates in the west to Benarty and Cardenden in the east.

He added: "There are things happening which some community organisations would like to have a CCTV facility to either dissuade problem makers or catch them."

Colin added that partnerships with local community councils could be a way of organising purchasing the cameras and the utilisation of these.

PC Gary Chrystal said that there was no problem with the local community police team being able to use cameras acquired by the panel.

It was agreed by the panel to get costings for the project and then find out the feelings of community councils on the issue.