SURVEILLANCE equipment, installed at a roundabout where drivers have been spotted going the wrong way round the intersection during the early hours of the morning, has officially been switched on.

The �4,000 CCTV cameras were placed on the roundabout behind Homebase, in Sudbury, close to the Chilton industrial estate after complaints from nearby residents.

The money has come from Babergh District Council, Sudbury Town Council and Chilton Parish Council, with a contribution from the locality budget of Sudbury county councillor Colin Spence. Homebase is providing electricity for the cameras.

On Wednesday, all those who contributed to the scheme gathered at the roundabout for the official unveiling.

Chilton Parish Council chairman Peter Clifford, said dangerous driving had been taking place at the roundabout for the past 18 months, with drivers performing handbrake turns in damp conditions.

He added: “It was dangerous and there were concerns it might cause an accident. This was all happening at night which meant it was also keeping residents awake.”

The three cameras give a view of the roundabout – one set up to record vehicle number plates and another to give a wider view of the entrance to the industrial estate.

It is hoped the cameras will be useful in identifying cars in an area where there have been a number of catalytic converter thefts, including several from vehicles owned by a community transport group.