PLANS to extend Alvechurch's CCTV system have fallen through after a Bromsgrove Council bid to provide three extra cameras in the village failed.

And a bid for three cameras to be installed at Drake's Cross, Station Road and May Lane, Wythall, has also been refused.

A second bid was submitted about six weeks ago for the extra cameras to be sited at Bear Hill, Alvechurch, to overlook the village hall and post office and at Station Road, to overlook the railway station.

A camera was also to be installed at Tanyard Lane, overlooking Crown Meadow First School and Alvechurch Middle School.

The Alvechurch and Wythall bids were two of four within the Bromsgrove district, all of which were refused.

John Moody, Bromsgrove Council's head of performance and technical services, said: "The cameras operating in Alvechurch only cover an essential core of the village and we felt we could reasonably enlarge it, bearing in mind the crime rate and other factors taking place there.

"We are awaiting details and information as to why the bid was unsuccessful.

"We are hopeful that perhaps when the new round of bids is put in we may resubmit them then."

Wythall Parish Council chairman Ron Hall said: "We are obviously very disappointed with the result."

Councillor Jill Dyer said: "I'm very disappointed the bid has failed.

"We've a great deal of vandalism at all of the shopping malls in Wythall and we've also had the chemists in May Lane ram-raided.

"We thought CCTV would be a genuine deterrent against all of this vandalism."