A RETIRED police chief has resigned as chairman of the group responsible for running Salisbury’s CCTV system, blaming the city’s “unstable” politics.

Julian Kirby, once Salisbury superintendent and later assistant chief constable of South Wales Police, chaired Salisbury Citywatch, the community interest company set up to run the city’s cameras when Wiltshire Council walked away last year.

The group aimed to form a city-wide community safety partnership, bringing together CCTV, a radio network and Pubwatch.

One of its main tasks, in partnership with Salisbury BID, was training volunteers to take over the running of Salisbury’s CCTV network after Wiltshire Council axed its control-room staff.

Wiltshire Council promised to replace the city’s ageing CCTV network with a £500,000 fibre-optic system.

But now its future hangs in the balance as Salisbury City Council (SCC) has not yet decided whether to accept responsibility for it as part of a package of assets that includes the Market Square.

It wants to wait until Wiltshire Council has ruled on whether Laverstock and Ford should become part of Salisbury parish.

Mr Kirby told colleagues Salisbury’s politics were too unstable to support the major developments that had initially been envisaged.

And he criticised the debate surrounding the asset transfer, CCTV and boundary review.

BID chairman and Citywatch board member Amanda Newbery thanked Mr Kirby for his time and experience.

She said: “I can’t believe we are going to allow these delays to jeopardise the CCTV or our plans for a community safety partnership. I can’t understand the lack of progress and why the city council need to wait until mid-summer."

She said linking the asset transfer and boundary review was “no way to do business”.

Steve Godwin of Salisbury BID said: “The city council should have made this decision months and months ago.

"When it was offered to us it wasn’t roped up in any asset transfer, it was a gift to Salisbury.”