A CRIMEWAVE through Temple Fortune has prompted council chiefs to bring forward plans to install a £150,000 CCTV system in the area.

Following a spate of 100 crimes being reported to Barnet police between July and December last year, Barnet Council decided this week to sanction the start of work to place five security cameras along Finchley Road - two years ahead of schedule.

There was also widespread pressure for CCTV from residents and shopkeepers who presented a petition signed by 1,000 people to the Finchley and Golders Green Residents Forum in March, which helped sway the decision.

In a report presented to Cabinet on Monday, it highlighted “a significant public concern regarding street crime in Temple Fortune and the associated lack of public space CCTV”.

The council credited the “sustained local campaign” as one of the reasons behind the shift in the installation programme, which will now see cameras in the area within this financial year instead of the initial time scale set out for between 2011/12.

Councillor Matthew Offord, cabinet member for community safety and community engagement, recognised there had been several high-profile crimes in the area but said : "Installing CCTV in Temple Fortune is something we believe in and people living in the area want.

"I am sure this project, in conjunction with the excellent police Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT), will reassure residents and visitors to the area."

Leader of the council, Councillor Mike Freer, who chaired the meeting added: “There has been huge concern locally about the rise of street crime which has included some very nasty, violent attacks.

“We’ve listened to residents, checked the latest data from the police and updated our priorities to tackle this.”

The news was welcomed by Lorretta Paterson, who last November was the victim of a violent car jacking outside a nail parlour along the parade of shops in Finchley Road.

Since then, the brave mother-of-three from Woodside Park, who was left with a deep cut across her head and bruising on her face and body, has spoken out against the council's delay in the CCTV project and organised the petition.

“I am delighted because people have been coming to my shop all the time asking what is going to happen,” said the 50-year-old owner of Temptation gift shop in the parade.

“At least some good has come out of what happened to me and it will 100 per cent benefit the community.

“It is not going to be the be all and end all of all crime in the area, but it will make a difference. Maybe with the CCTV we will have the protection in knowing the police can look and see the evidence.

“Hopefully it will deter the criminals and they won't be in our area watching everybody, and we won't have to keep looking over our shoulders.”

Ms Paterson said she is recovering well from the trauma of her attack, and added she was determined to turn her experiences into something positive to help the community.

“I was not prepared to go around and let others think that was it,” she said.

“I'm back on an even keel now but if I hear a bang or shouting I freak out a bit and find it hard to deal with.

“But if I hadn't made my experiences high profile and had the support of others in the area, I don't think we would be getting our CCTV. If people have a problem in their area, they should get together to raise the awareness about it.”

The installation of the cameras, which is expected to cost about £150,000, follows a series of operations and patrols by The Garden Suburb SNT in recent months.

Sergeant Damian Southall, who leads the SNT, said they have regular personal contact with retailers in the area, and pay particular attention to those that have been repeat victims of burglaries or other crimes.

He said: "The introduction of CCTV to Temple Fortune will be priceless in terms of public reassurance and this, combined with our proactive work in the area, will have a significant knock-on effect on reducing fear of crime.”