A PRESENTATION on the merits of a £16,000 CCTV system to help reduce crime in Haslemere was set to go ahead last night (Thursday) but the public was expected to be excluded.

The decision not to allow the public in was made by Haslemere town councillors last week after fears that large numbers of the public would overcrowd the council chamber.

The presentation will give the town councillors who were unable to attend a previous meeting in Farnham the chance to hear how the mobile camera systems had worked elsewhere in the borough.

Several town councillors including Mark Lelliott and James Mackie believed the meeting should be held in public.

"The public should have the opportunity to attend, given the fact that we are possibly spending in the region of £16,000. We have to be open and be seen to be open," he said.

James Mackie said: "Let the public come and in the unlikely event that more than 50 people turn up, we will have to adjourn."

But chairman Stephen Mulliner said that the purpose of the presentation was simply to inform the councillors before they had to vote on its installation.

Adrian Law said that although he was not "ideologically opposed to CCTV," he was concerned that the emphasis was entirely on Haslemere.

"The last time CCTV was discussed I heard Haslemere three times and did not hear Beacon Hill once.

"I would be vehemently opposed to spending £16,000 on something that would not benefit Beacon Hill," he said.

Jackie Keen said she felt there was no need to go through a public consultation again.

She said that previous public consultation had shown 85 per cent of the people spoken to were in favour of the proposal.

She added that research had been carried out in Shottermill library, Beacon Hill and Haslemere High Street by Neighbourhood Watch groups.

"It is much better than the fixed system. There are so many rules and regulations about CCTV that people need not worry about where they are placed and cameras can be set up in just 15 minutes," she said.

"Let's stop talking about it and get on with it," said Mrs Keen.