A CCTV camera will be installed at the back of Blandford Forum Parish Church in a bid to stamp out loutish behaviour in the area.

Railings put up around the adjacent Old Bath House have been hailed a success, with town council staff celebrating a "significant reduction" to the number of reports of anti-social behaviour in the area.

Now civic leaders at Blandford Town Council have given the go-ahead for a single, static camera to monitor the rear of the church, where problems with anti-social behaviour remain.

And the cost of just over £2,000 will not fall on Blandford's council taxpayers, with a grant from the Safer and Stronger Communities Project being used to purchase the equipment.

Public interest would be served by installing the camera, said Cllr Esme Butler, by addressing concerns that were first raised at a PACT community meeting.

Signage would need to be put up to comply with data protection laws, said Cllr Lynn Lindsay, as was the case for a CCTV system in the town monitored by Dorset Police.

Two Irish yew trees opposite the Old Bath House may now be reduced by as much as 60 per cent to open up the area.

Tree specialists at North Dorset District Council are recommending the reduction is achieved by careful tying and pruning.

Two other yew trees in the church yard could be reduced by more than a third, with tying and pruning again recommended in preference to felling.

Elder shrubs in the church yard, and the ivy on the walls of the Old Bath House will now be removed by town council staff.