Traders on York’s most famous street are urging the council to add CCTV cameras after a series of crimes.
Unlike most city centre streets, Shambles has no council-controlled cameras.
Last year there was a series of break-ins on the street, and this year began with a raid on the Shambles Sweet Shop.
Windows were broken and a big haul of stock taken yesterday (Sunday). Police arrested two women in connection with the burglary later the same day.
Adam Scott, owner of the sweet shop, told YorkMix that he believed thieves were partly targeting the street because there were fewer cameras.
He said: “To have a street this high profile, that’s been targeted this much by thieves and vandals, to not have CCTV – I think negligence is the right word.
“Short sighted, stupid – there’s a whole list of words when it’s OK to spend millions on bollards that no one really asked for. If the risk is that great, we need CCTV. And after all these burglaries, we definitely need CCTV.”
Phil Pinder, of York High Street Forum, co-owns the Potions Cauldron on Shambles.
He told YorkMix that he’s asked City of York Council to put a CCTV camera on the building it owns on King’s Court which looks down Shambles, and one on Greggs on Pavement looking the other way.
“It doesn’t have to be the council CCTV which has to be wired back to the police station and is obviously very expensive,” Phil said.
“We just need a system that, collectively, we can go back and look at, because Shambles was was missed when the city got covered by CCTV.”
He said the cameras weren’t needed so much in the past when Shambles had hardly any crimes.
“In the last 12 months I think we’ve had more break-ins than we’ve ever had before. We’re probably becoming a crime hotspot.
“You’d like to think that something has to be done.”
He added: “They’ve got £3 million to spend on anti-terrorism bollards. You’d think we could have a few quid on a camera for the street.”
Many traders have their own CCTV but it needs to be bolstered by cameras looking down the whole street, Phil said.
‘Partnership approach’
Bryn Roberts, director of governance at City of York Council, said: “City of York Council works closely with North Yorkshire Police and several partner organisations to reduce crime and keep residents, visitors, and businesses safe.
“This joint work includes working with York BID and the BID Rangers, who work directly with the retail community to deter shop theft and help identify and deal with shoplifters.
“Any request for new public space CCTV would be considered through this established partnership approach. As part of that process, the council must look carefully at the full costs of installing, maintaining, and monitoring CCTV.
“However, cost alone does not decide the outcome. A detailed risk assessment is also required to ensure any new CCTV meets strict data protection and privacy laws.
“This assessment considers why CCTV is being proposed, whether it is necessary and proportionate, and what benefits it is expected to bring to the specific area.
“By working closely with our partners and following an evidence‑based assessment process, the council aims to ensure that any use of public space CCTV is fully justified, effective in supporting public safety, and compliant with all legal and privacy obligations.”
