Cash taken from criminals will be used to install a new CCTV system in Woodley, it has been agreed.

Thames Valley Police is to contribute £15,000 towards the CCTV system, with £10,000 of that coming from money taken from thieves.

Police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber said: “£10k from the sale of stolen goods is being provided to Woodley Town Centre Partnership to support their CCTV project.” He said this was on top of £5,000 already promised.

Labour councillors at Wokingham Borough Council proposed contributing another £15,000 in Wokingham Borough Council’s spending plans for the coming year, at a meeting on Thursday, February 22.

Conservative Party leader of Woodley Town Council Keith Baker said the CCTV system would be ‘the first system in the whole of the borough.’ He said Woodley Town Council had been prepared to fund the system anyway, but that the new funding ‘will allow us to put in an even better system.’

Liberal Democrat borough council leader Stephen Conway said he was happy for the money to be included. He said it “will make a big difference to the attempt to secure CCTV in Woodley town centre which is clearly something that we would want to support.”