BIG Brother spotted more than 2,500 crimes in the Bridgwater and Burnham area last year leading to 586 arrests, the Mercury can reveal.

Sedgemoor District Council's £3.2million network of 161 CCTV cameras covering the whole of Somerset, discovered 2,628 crimes in Sedgemoor in 2009, ranging from assaults to drink-drinking.

Diligent work by the Bridgwater-based camera operators helped police make 111 arrests, while a further 375 were made using police intelligence and radio link schemes.

The staggering figures released this week do not include incidents where offenders were given on-the-spot fines, or where police asked CCTV operators to search their footage for possible evidence after a crime was committed.

The award-winning camera team also handed over 1,974 pieces of evidence to police last year.

Manager Barry Donbavand told the Mercury Sedgemoor's 24/7 CCTV operation played a huge role in exposing minor crime such as theft and criminal damage, and more serious offences including rape allegations and murder.

He also said the cameras helped trace 545 missing people last year, helped monitor drunk and vulnerable men and women on their own, and even reunited owners who had forgotten where they parked their cars.

Mr Donbavand said: “We work very closely with the police and together reduce crime in our towns.

“CCTV operators also know prolific offenders and can warn shops and pubs who are members of the Bridgwater and Burnham security group, via a town wide radio link.

“We are proactive, and the amount of arrests generated is huge in any context.”

There are plans to extend the CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition network to cover the North Street junction with West Street in Bridgwater, the A38 at Highbridge, and the esplanade, Marine Drive and Love Lane in Burnham.