VANDALS could be driven out of the grounds of Clitheroe Castle once and for all under plans to protect the area.

Ribble Valley Council is looking to improve the castle grounds to encourage more people to use them instead of having young gangs hanging around.

Graham Jagger, council engineering manager, told a meeting of the Crime and Disorder Partnership group that plans were afoot to tackle the problems of damage in the grounds.

He said suggestions were to be put to council members at next week's community committee meeting to tackle the issue including removing some of the shrubs to open up the area and improving lighting.

He said he hoped opening up the area would encourage more people to use the grounds and make it difficult for vandals to damage the area without being seen.

A series of vandal attacks in the castle grounds cost the council about £6,000 last year.

A number of bench ends have also been stolen recently and a summer house had to be removed because it was so badly damaged.

"Obviously Closed Circuit Television is an issue and if the town's bid, currently at the Home Office, is successful, that will make a difference in the grounds," said Mr Jagger.

The issue is to be discussed in detail, together with cost, at the community committee meeting on Tuesday.

Meanwhile hopes are high that the go-ahead for a new £700,000 CCTV system in Clitheroe will soon be given by the Home Office.

The scheme has received the full backing of the police, Ribble Valley Council, Clitheroe and Whalley Chambers of Trade and Whalley Town Council.

"A couple of queries from the Home Office requesting clarification on some points is very encouraging," said Chief Inspector Andy Pratt.

But Clitheroe Town Council has turned its back on the idea, declaring the running costs, estimated at £55,000 a year, as too high.

The scheme involves the removal of a seven-camera system installed around five years ago by then Home Secretary Michael Howard.

The new state-of-the-art system will have 20 cameras which will be monitored 24 hours a day by specially trained staff from a site in Clitheroe near the market.

It is also to be extended to Whalley and the new development of Enterprise Park, in Barrow.

Key areas the cameras will be able to cover include the main car parks, Clitheroe castle grounds, the new bus and rail interchange and Whalley's Rendezvous nightclub car park.