SHOP owners are backing parish councillors who have called for action to end violence in a shopping precinct.

It comes after armed robber Gavin Short, 39, of Stoneheys Lane, Barnton, was jailed last Tuesday for taking £18,000 from a security guard delivering to Tesco Express in Northwich Road, Weaverham.

Councillors say they are committed to trying to make sure similar attacks are discouraged by installing a CCTV network at the parade, but say a lack of co-operation from some shops is holding up the plans.

Cllr Eileen Bland said: 'We have contacted all the stores in the area with a view to installing a CCTV system because it will cost money and the parish council cannot pick up the entire tab. But we are waiting on responses, notably from Tesco and NatWest which have so far failed to contact us at all.'

Carol Newton, who runs Newton's pet store, said: 'If we could all have agreement this would be a much safer place to shop and work and we would all be better off, but there are always some who disagree and that means we can't act for the good of us all.

'It is a good idea and one I support, but it will only work if we all pull together. Some retailers, large and small, are saying they don't want to pay - they say they have cameras inside their shops that do as good a job.'

She said that, while criminal damage and burglary were un-usual occurances, there had been enough incidents to make shop keepers concerned over safety.

She said: 'I'm lucky enough not to have had any trouble here, but there have been incidents, such as the launderette which has had its windows broken a few times. If we worked together this could be a lovely place to work and shop.'

One store which is supporting the bid for CCTV is the Co-op. A spokesman said: 'We are interested in the parish council's proposal to install CCTV cameras around the shopping precinct and await further details of the scheme.'