AN 11th hour deal has been brokered to keep Newton Abbot's award-winning CCTV system running at full strength for at least a few more months.

Devon and Cornwall Police has confirmed funds will be withdrawn.

And CCTV liaison officer Chris Long heard this week that his appeal against redundancy had been unsuccessful. His job has been deleted as part of the force's £50m cuts.

But now an agreement has been hammered out by Newton Abbot's business community, the town council and Teignbridge Council to fund the post until the end of March, when it is hoped that alternative funding will be available.

The deal was the result of hasty negotiation after an earlier offer to employ Mr Long at the minimum wage was rejected by him as 'insulting'.

Earlier this week, when it became clear that Newton Abbot would lose a vital cog in its town centre security system, businesses were predicting a rise in undetected crime.

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