A CCTV camera in one of Blackburn's worst night-time troublespots has been rendered useless -- because it can't cope with the bright lights from takeaway signs!

Blackburn with Darwen Council installed the camera in Darwen Street in 2000 as part of a £400,000 project, promising that it would help create a safer town centre.

But now, four years on, council bosses have admitted that the black and white pictures it produces at night have been virtually useless -- because the neon lights from the street's takeaways blur the images.

With the takeaways on the street using brighter and bigger signs all the time to try and attract more trade, the problem is only getting worse.

And they have vowed to carry out work to improve the system.

Darwen Street is one of Blackburn's biggest troublespots at the weekend, as crowds of drunken revellers descend on the street around 2am to try and get taxis and takeaways after nightclubs have closed.

Ronnie O'Keeffe, who runs Studio 19, a framing shop in Darwen Street, said: "The lights from the shops means you can't really see anything on there at all.

"They are just no good. It's a worry for us on the street because we want to know someone is watching what is going on all the time.

"It isn't the only one which is effectively useless."

Security experts today blamed Blackburn with Darwen Council for not being aware of the problem when it installed the camera.

One, who asked not to be named because he has contracts with the council, said: "Black and white cameras won't work at night if there is too much light, it is as simple as that.

"A camera like that would cost £1,400 at the time. One with a filter in, which blocks out neon light and the such, would cost £2,000. For the peace of mind people would have, I think it's worth it.

"In a way, I suppose people on Darwen Street at night have been conned."

Conservative councillor Colin Rigby said: "How this has been allowed to go on for so long I don't know. I have always doubted the effectiveness of CCTV in general, but this is just an expensive joke.

"Surely this could have been spotted before."

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration at the council, said the local authority-police partnership for the town centre was aware of the problem.

He said: "The Community Safety Partnership is aware of some difficulties with the Town Centre System which is why there has and will continue to be significant investment in improving the system.

"Some maintenance work has recently been carried out and improvements to the system and the surrounding environment are programmed to increase the effectiveness of CCTV as both a deterrent and a prosecution tool."

No one from Blackburn Police was available to comment on the camera.