A regional daily has forced council action on CCTV cameras which were broken for eight months in an area where more than 200 crimes were reported.

An investigation by Liverpool Echo crime reporter Joe Thomas has revealed three cameras on Victoria Street, a street at the heart of the city’s nighttime economy, had been out of action for most of this year despite Liverpool City Council knowing about the problem in January.

In the same area, 212 crimes were reported to Merseyside Police between February and August – including 50 allegations of violent or sexual offences.

The council has now fixed the cameras after Joe, pictured, first enquired about the issue last month.

Speaking to HTFP, he said: “Victoria Street is home to many fantastic venues and a gateway to the world-famous Cavern Quarter.

“During times of normality, tens of thousands of tourists and party-goers visit the area every week. Even during lockdown, it remained a key city centre thoroughfare.

“It is surely one of the most important areas for Liverpool Council’s safety network to have eyes on – and the 212 reported crimes in the surrounding area between February and August of this year, many allegations of violence and sexual offences, highlights this.

“For the council to have been made aware a series of cameras were out of action for so long and not ensure they were fixed is extraordinary.

“These are cameras that inform police action in an area that is busy regardless of what lockdown restrictions are in place.”

The authority told the Echo there had been a delay in fixing the cameras “due to complications arising out of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak”.

Joe added: “After eight months of failing to deal with the problem it was only in the aftermath of this scrutiny that the authority took action to bring the cameras back online.

“Therefore, this appears to be an important victory for the Echo in helping to ensure that a popular part of the city is now safer for the many who use it every day.”

A spokesman for the council told the Echo other cameras covered the same area, adding the authority had recently invested £7,000 upgrading one of the cameras in this area to give a 360 degree field of view.

He added: “So, whilst these cameras were out of action we were able to use these extra resources to ensure the area was covered.

“Liverpool City Council and its partners take safety and security in our city centre extremely seriously. Cameras are not the only tool used by the council to support public safety. Our licensing enforcement, environmental health and streetscene officers are present at key times in the city centre throughout the week.

“The council’s CCTV system was in use throughout lockdown and its cameras and operators were fundamental in the detection and apprehension of a number of offenders.”