CRUCIAL evidence of Blackburn town centre incidents could be being missed because of faulty CCTV cameras.

Police have lodged their concerns with Blackburn with Darwen Council about cameras ‘not being as operable as they should be’.

On Sunday, July 4, an incident outside Live Lounge bar in Northgate was missed by both cameras on top of The Residence Bar, King William Street and on Sudell Cross.

Police used footage from inside the premises for their investigation.

According to town centre officers, the incident missed by faulty CCTV had ‘echoes’ of the death of Adam Rogers.

During the trial of teenager William Upton for manslaughter, CCTV footage from town centre cameras picked up the two groups of friends clashing on Northgate, but missed the fatal punch and Adam’s fall.

Paul McGurty, licensee of the Live Lounge, said: “As I understand it, the two cameras in King William Street and Sudell Cross are not working, but I was only informed of this by the police when the incident took place.

“A third camera, further down Northgate by the Gladstone Statue, doesn’t cover our premises.

“It is just ridiculous. This incident, as violent as it was, happened right under the nose of two state-of-the-art cameras which were not working.”

Mr McGurty’s premises has nine internal cameras and four external cameras which he said was ‘over and above’ what is required by their licence.

He said: “I gave the police our footage from the night which was limited, but showed an argument taking place.

“That escalated outside and further up the street. When I asked the police ‘what about these cameras?’, I was told ‘they’re not working’.”

Town centre cameras are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the council’s CCTV control room at Greenbank Police Station.

Sayyed Osman, director of neighbourhoods, housing and customer services, said: “We are currently experiencing technical problems with a small number of CCTV cameras.

“However, we are doing everything possible to have these restored to full working order.”