VANDALS caused £1,000 worth of damage to a Kidderminster shop front - but a new CCTV camera that could have filmed the culprits was not working properly.

Thugs cracked the front windows of Bells Electrical Superstore in Blackwell Street over two consecutive Fridays but were not caught in the act because of a camera fault.

The motor problem, which meant the device could not be rotated by a control room in Bromsgrove, came a little over two months since the seven cameras went live in the town centre.

The camera was down for an estimated 10 days, enough time for yobs to break the two windows late on April 8 and 15.

Dave Bell, who runs the domestic appliance shop, said: "It seems strange that you can put something new in the town and, for a couple of weeks, it doesn't work properly. If it was working, the camera could have recorded who was smashing the window. I am just disappointed, really."

Wyre Forest District Council is behind the £155,000 scheme, although the colour cameras are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by Bromsgrove District Council staff.

Head of cultural, leisure and commercial services at Wyre Forest District Council, Andrew Dickens, said it was the first fault to hit the crimebusting scheme and a new part had to be ordered for the camera to be fully functional again.

He added: "Unfortunately, faults on equipment do happen. Under normal circumstances we have got 24-hour call out so, if a fault does occur, then they should come out and have the problem rectified. It is unfortunate this needed a complete new motor head."

He went on: "There was nothing wrong with the technology and the camera. The camera was showing an image. It was unfortunate it wasn't panning left or right."

Mr Dickens said it was the first glitch to hit the scheme. Monitoring staff have a direct link to the police to advise officers on incidents and it is hoped footage captured by the high-quality devices will be used as evidence in court.