ONE in two crooks filmed committing offences in Lancashire get away with their crimes because of fuzzy pictures and poorly maintained cameras, police have revealed.

Lancashire Police are campaigning to ensure that shops and offices make the most of their security cameras to help catch criminals.

Police say many shops and offices allow cameras to get dirty or go out of focus, and some use the same video tapes for years.

The campaign, called Infocus, aims to increase the number of criminals who are caught by improving the county's closed-circuit TV (CCTV) systems.

Last year Lancashire police's imaging unit at Hutton, near Preston, dealt with more than 1,500 tapes sent for enhancement, printing or copying. More than half led to identification or conviction. Keith Gorton from the unit said: "For every criminal positively identified by CCTV, another gets away. "A lot of CCTV systems appear to have been installed but not regularly maintained. This means the tapes we receive are unusable. We frequently receive tapes that are blurred because the cameras aren't focused properly or are dirty, or the video tapes are simply worn out."

Police will issue a campaign pack including a video showing shop and office managers how to get the best out of their CCTV, and posters and window stickers to deter criminals.

The campaign, called Infocus, is backed by the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime, CrimeStoppers and Chambers of Trade. Electronics firms CPC and Ultrak Intervision have donated resources, along with video tape firm PMD Magnetics and other companies, including Konica, Fuji Film, Abbey Photographic and Avery Labels.

To get a campaign pack for your shop or office, call 01772 618622 and quote Infocus, or e-mail your details to: infocusuk@yahoo.co.uk