Police are appealing for information after door of Christopher Piper Wines was smashed

Criminal damage at an Ottery business premises has sparked renewed calls for CCTV in the town centre.

PCSO Maria Clapp said the incident this weekend, in which the front door of Christopher Piper Wines Ltd was smashed, highlighted a need for new security measures to help crack down on crime.

Proposals to invest in a shared camera system were discussed at a town council meeting two months ago, after a break-in at the Hospiscare shop, Broad Street.

The idea was welcomed by Ottery Chamber of Commerce chairman Viv Abbott, who said it would help make a difference to businesses.

This week, Chris Piper said the damage to his Silver Street premises would cost him around £200 to fix and agreed an increased CCTV presence in the town centre would help combat crime.

He said: “We have been here for 35 years and we have not had a hit on the shop for at least seven or eight years. I do not know if Ottery is having a spate at the moment. CCTV would be a deterrent, if nothing else. In terms of crime prevention, I think it would be quite useful. I certainly think it would be a plus and I suspect most people in the town would agree with it, too.”

Mr Piper said he did not know whether the culprits were trying to break into his business or just intending to cause damage. He explained that the alarm system did not go off because no one actually got inside the building.

Speaking about the latest incident this week, PCSO Clapp, of Ottery’s neighbourhood police team, said it demonstrated another good reason to continue pursuing CCTV for the town centre and confirmed she was awaiting quotes for the cost of installation.

Police are appealing for any information about the crime that occurred between 4.30pm on Saturday (April 16) and 9.30am on Sunday (April 17).

If you can help, call 101, or report to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting crime reference: 24505/16.