Wigan borough CCTV system that helped solve a murder gets cash boost of almost half £1m

Wigan Council has put in almost £500,000 into this security system which was an important factor in catching the killers of Scott Anderton in Leigh last year.

On March 25, 2021, the 33-year-old was lured to the canalside in Leigh by three callous teenagers who would go on to stab him 35 times before chucking him into the water to die. Video footage, which formed part of Greater Manchester Police’s investigation, showed Liam Bailey, 19, Harry Maher, 16, and Liam O’Brien, 17, leading Mr Anderton to a secluded stretch of the canal, off King Street.

The trio were all jailed for their roles in the brutal killing after a five week trial at Manchester Crown Court in November 2021.

Bailey, of Diamond Street, Leigh, was sentenced to life in custody with a minimum term of 23 years and four months. Maher, of Green Lane, Standish, was also jailed for life and must serve at least 16 years before he is eligible for parole.

O’Brien, of Schofield Street, Leigh, was ordered to serve 10 years in prison.

For Coun Kevin Anderson, portfolio holder for Police, Crime and Civil Contingencies, this CCTV funding commitment is a ‘personal victory’. The funding will go towards increasing the number of cameras and improving the imagery.

“We hope with the investment it makes people feel safer,” Coun Anderson said. “For me the murder stuck in my mind to show the importance of good CCTV and how it can help – and we got the convictions at Manchester Crown Court as a result.

“CCTV acts as more of a deterrent and a warning for those doing things against the law – we’ve had a difficult period of time with the pandemic. There seems to have been a rise in terms of aggressive behaviour and letting off steam and that can boil over to something worse.”

Since 2019, there have been 118 extra CCTV cameras installed across the borough, with 52 of those coming to Leigh. A further 25 were installed in Platt Bridge, five at Chapel Lane Car Park, 30 on Standishgate in the town centre and six at Haigh Hall.

The council also issued 31 Rapid Deployment Cameras in this time. This was to support teams fighting anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.

“Our CCTV network has undergone a major expansion as part of our multi-agency approach to preventing crime and anti-social behaviour across Wigan borough,” Coun Anderson added. “Most recently the council invested almost £500,000 into our CCTV network, with £56,000 going on improving the network in Platt Bridge and a further £420,000 earmarked for new and upgraded cameras in Wigan, Leigh, Ashton and Pemberton.

“State-of-the-art CCTV cameras have also been placed at well-known fly tip hotspots, including in Ince, Platt Bridge, Hindley. Last year Leigh West was also awarded a share of the Safer Streets Fund and additional CCTV cameras were a key part of this £500,000 scheme.

“The expansion of our CCTV network will continue following our latest successful bid to the Safer Streets Fund which awarded the council with almost £750,000 to improve safety and deter anti-social behaviour in Platt Bridge and Scholes.

"This investment is in addition to many great initiatives being overseen by the Place and Community Safety Partnership, which aims to ensure Wigan Borough is a safe place to live and work for us all.”

This commitment to night time safety was something that helped get Wigan town centre Purple Flag Status. This is the recognition of excellence in the evening and night-time economy – a place that is diverse, vibrant, safe, attractive and welcoming.

In addition to this commitment, Coun Anderson is excited about the relaunch of the neighbourhood watch initiative across the borough in order to increase public involvement in preventing crime. It is hoped this will improve public engagement with police and appeals to help solve crimes.