Two more town centres in Barnet had CCTV installed this week to help beat antisocial behaviour and street crime.

Eight new cameras went live' in East Finchley on Tuesday, and four in Whetstone. The cameras, funded by Barnet Council, will be monitored 24 hours a day and take the total number of cameras in the borough to 116.

In East Finchley, 11 of the cameras are in High Road with one in East End Road; in Whetstone, three are in High Road and one in Totteridge Lane.

Mac McKenny, chairman of Whetstone Society, said: "We are more than happy and we think it's a good thing. There can't be anything lost by having them."

Paul Davis, chairman of Totteridge Residents Association, said: "We are for it, although I don't think it crime and antisocial behaviour is bad here, from what police say, though we've had issues with graffiti."

Councillor Brian Coleman, cabinet member for community safety and community engagement, said: "The roll out of another batch of CCTV cameras will send out a clear message to those engaged in antisocial behaviour and street crime: if you break the law in Barnet you will be caught on camera."

The council said it had no plans to install talking' CCTV cameras which have been piloted in the north of England and are set to be extended to parts of London.

Those cameras allow operators in CCTV control rooms to issue orders to people on the street via loudspeakers.