Street CCTV cameras in Ammanford will no longer be monitored if proposals to save Dyfed-Powys Police £40,000 are approved.

CCTV monitoring across Carmarthenshire is likely to reduced — leading to the loss of two jobs in April — follow a review of publicly-funded CCTV coverage.

The proposals would mean CCTV in Ammanford would no longer be "live monitored" - that is watched by a member of staff in real time.

The cuts are outlined in a report carried out independently for Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon.

The report identifies a number of considerations for the region and comes at a time when many local councils are reducing their CCTV funding due to financial pressure.

Mr Salmon us set to discuss the findings with the Chief Constable Simon Prince and county council leaders. Other CCTV stakeholders and the public have also been invited to express their views.

Mr Salmon said: “This report has helped inform my planning for the future of CCTV across Dyfed-Powys. We need to make decisions based on evidence, given reduced funding.”

The report concludes that:

•There is little evidence that CCTV deters crime, in particular violent and alcohol-related incidents

•There is evidence to suggest CCTV helps investigation of crime and convictions

•There is no case to support the active monitoring of public CCTV in Dyfed-Powys

•Many existing public CCTV systems cannot produce images acceptable in court

•Councils should consider removing out-of-use cameras to ensure the public are not provided with a false sense of security

Further research from Dyfed-Powys Police records shows that, for the year to August 2014, 1.5 per cent of case files used publicly controlled CCTV evidence and 2.2 per cent used evidence from private systems. The police have never funded CCTV systems in Dyfed-Powys.

The Commissioner’s initial recommendations, subject to consultation from now to April, are:

•Public CCTV should remain the responsibility of local authorities, town and community councils. Mr Salmon will support them in decisions they feel right for their area. There will continue to be no funding from the Commissioner.

•For authorities and councils who wish to fund CCTV, Mr Salmon will publish a common standard for mobile systems that provide images suitable for court.

•He will cease funding for active monitoring of CCTV by April. This amounts to around £40,000 in Carmarthenshire

•The Commissioner will consult councils and businesses on the inclusion of CCTV as a requirement for pubs, clubs and other licensed premises

•Mr Salmon will keep the situation under review and consider further evidence from other areas and any technological developments such as mobile CCTV.

The CCTV report was produced by security specialists Instrom and funded by Mr Salmon.

Mr Salmon said: “We must spend every pound where it delivers. I look forward to our discussions to agree a solution for CCTV that delivers value and, most of all, is effective.

“In the meantime, I’m giving the public what they ask me for – more bobbies on the beat."