A project to bring CCTV to the town will cost around £30,000.

Sergeant Andy Squires spoke at a chamber of commerce meeting to appeal to anyone wanting to support the scheme, for which he is now fundraising.

There are two options, which both cost £29,950, and involve placing wireless HD cameras between The Radway and the seafront.

The new system would be able to zoom in on faces without distorting them and allow officers to connect to the system on hand-held devices using 3G, allowing police to monitor things as they approached a scene.

The first option would have 21 cameras sitting back-to-back, providing 180 degree views, while the second option would have eight, but each one would have a 270 degree vision - both would cover the same area.

Sgt Squires said: “The current system, compared to what is available now, is pretty much akin to seven Polaroid cameras tied to a lamppost with bungee cord.

“Within the last 12 months, we have had a number of burglaries in the town centre where a decent system would have given us a chance of finding the offenders.

“From a police perspective, it is infuriating when you can see this going on and cannot do anything with the footage.

“I’m trying to make things better for people and, particularly, businesses in the town. Sidmouth does not need to be an easy target.”

He said Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez, Sidmouth Town Council and East Devon District Council (EDDC) had all shown an interest in the project.

He added there had been talks about housing the system at the town council and monitoring it at key times from either the Exmouth or Honiton control rooms.

Richard Eley, on behalf of the chamber of commerce, said they would voice their support for the project to EDDC and ask for a £1.5million pot of Section 106 community money from the Fortfield Hotel development to be used to help fund the scheme.

He added: “We are the people they are supposed to be asking what to do with that money.”