Brent Council has launched a new £2.3 million CCTV control room to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the borough.

The previous, analogue system, which was installed in the mid-1990s, was described as “archaic” and in clear need of an upgrade.

Following a review in March last year, the council’s cabinet heard that maintaining the old system would end up costing more money than introducing a new one.

“The old system served Brent well for over 20 years but needed replacing, and now our residents can rest assured that our public spaces are being protected by the very latest digital system,” said Cllr Tom Miller, responsible for stronger communities at Brent Council.

“It will lead to better surveillance and help our security patrols and the police respond to incidents more quickly.

“It’s been designed so it can be integrated with digital innovations in the future, and over time it will actually save us money as it won’t need the same level of maintenance as the old analogue system.”

The new system forms part of the council’s community safety strategy, which seeks to improve security across Brent.

It features 14 big screens to enable operators to keep an eye on the borough’s high streets.

It also benefits from HD pictures, and there will be access to deployable cameras for hotspot locations.