CCTV cameras on a Brighton housing estate have cut crime by almost a quarter, according to the police.

Cameras monitored 939 incidents on the Whitehawk estate in the first year of operation.

In the second year, from November 2000 to October this year, this fell to 716, down 223.

Sussex Police CCTV Project Officer Brian Watkins told the Whitehawk Crime Prevention Forum: "I'm quite pleased and almost smug to an extent.

"The activity on the estate throughout the year has seen a significant drop in the number of incidents, which are being watched on the estate. Crime is not going away completely but there has been a significant drop."

Figures showing the number of incidents caught on camera during school holidays were also down. These were intended to examine the affect of keeping young people occupied through play schemes, mainly organised by Sue Barnes, the project co-ordinator for the Play and Adventure Project on the estate.

In the July, August and September period of 2000, there were 223 incidents monitored, which dropped to 174 during the same period this year.

Mr Watkins said: "You are never going to stop crime, it's human nature.

"But we're pleased with the results and we're happy that members of the community are ringing us and giving us information that an incident is occurring."

The installation of cameras on the estate was a forum initiative, although some members had been worried the cameras would be an invasion of people's privacy.

Mr Watkins said although some people had got to know where and how the cameras worked, there was one camera in particular, which was proving a success in detecting crime.