STUDENTS at University College Chester can now feel a whole lot safer following the introduction of a Ministry of Defence-style £250,000 security camera system.

The college is the only higher education institution in Britain to boast such a 24-hour digital camera system and hopes students will now feel safer from physical attacks and from thieves.

College bosses say the system has been introduced to protect people from the fear of crime and not in response to recent attacks on students.

They are concerned about issues such as date rape and have bought the system to protect their 10,000 students and 1,200 staff.

The system, which boasts 360-degree cameras, covers the entire Parkgate Road campus and the college's Warrington campus and even keeps a watching eye on students' college-based hall of residences.

What makes the system special is it is the first UK system to link more than 60 small digital cameras directly into a college computer network.

The pictures are relayed back to computer monitors via the internet so that searching for images is easier and more secure.

Two years ago, a female student was followed home from a night out in Chester and badly beaten up just yards from the college campus.

However, her attacker escaped prosecution as the mugging happened just out of view of the college's former CCTV system.

Before Easter, two students were attacked as they made their way to their private homes in the city.

And last year, the college tightened its grip on security after announcing it was to close the Cheyney Road main gates at 9pm to monitor visitors to the campus.

But now college chiefs say every part of the college campus will be covered by the new cameras.

Keith Thompson, a spokesman for University College Chester, says the introduction of the system follows a national survey which says 65% of women feel unsafe on college campuses.

'We don't think there are any other colleges across the UK that have a better system. The only other organisation that has such a system is the Ministry of Defence,' he said.

'Cynics will say we have introduced this system as a response to a crime-wave but we have not. It is to protect our students and staff from the fear of crime.'

Mr Thompson said the former CCTV system was fallible but hopes the new system will put and end to all college crime.

'The entrance to the college is covered by the new system, as are all exits.'

The new system has been welcomed by Steven Hargreaves, president of the Chester Students' Union, who recently launched a separate campaign warning students about the dangers of drink-spiking.

He said: 'The college is investing in facilities and services that the college will need to become a university. Safety is a massive thing.'

The college's student guidance support department has employed a former police officer to use the new system.

Steven Hargreaves, president of the Chester Students' Union, will meet Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday as a thank-you after the college took part in a Labour Party initiative.

The college hosted the Big Conversation conference earlier this year in a bid to help the Labour Party to develop its manifesto for the next General Election.