FED up gardeners in Portishead are calling for better monitoring of the town's CCTV cameras - after vandals damaged planters but weren't captured on camera. Hooligans went on the rampage in the High Street and ripped flowers from the planted carousel outs

FED up gardeners in Portishead are calling for better monitoring of the town's CCTV cameras - after vandals damaged planters but weren't captured on camera.Hooligans went on the rampage in the High Street and ripped flowers from the planted carousel outside the HSBC Bank.This isn't the first time vandals have damaged the floral displays put together by Portishead in Bloom.The group is considering moving its planted flower box from outside the Smile store as it keeps getting damaged by youths who use it to sit on.Portishead in Bloom leaders have asked police to investigate the attacks, but it seems as if the vandals were not captured on camera.Portishead in Bloom chairman Gordon Randall said: "Two of the hanging baskets on the carousel display outside the bank were ripped off and chucked on the floor."I am not sure how they did it, one person must have stood on another's shoulders to be able to reach it."Despite the fact the CCTV camera is only yards away from the carousel nothing was picked up by the camera operators."What is the point of having these cameras if the operators are not picking up what they should be?"I would have thought the cameras would have acted as a deterrent to vandals."Portishead and North Weston Town Council has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of the cameras.Portishead and North Weston Town Council clerk Penny Rendle said: "The town council is very concerned about the effectiveness of the CCTV cameras and have asked North Somerset CCTV manager along to one of our meetings to explain the situation."Portishead has five cameras which are situated at the corner of Victoria Court, outside Barclays Bank, outside HSBC bank, at Cabstand and the Co-op car park at Wyndham Way.The town council pays around £8,000 towards their monitoring.