TRAVELLING on buses between Bolton and Blackburn has been made safer thanks to a little bit of help from -- Big Brother.

Five new single decker buses recently delivered to Lancashire United to operate journeys between the two towns all have closed-circuit security cameras installed.

Each bus is fitted with two cameras covering the bus interior from front to back, a third watching all passengers entering or leaving and a fourth mounted on the dashboard to monitor other traffic movements including road accidents and infringements at bus stops and in bus priority lanes.

Recording is done digitally to give a high level of full colour reproduction.

Similarly fitted buses in Burnley, Harrogate and Keighley have already helped police to fight roadside crime.

Giles Fearnley, chairman of the Blazefield Group, owners of Lancashire United, said: "We introduced digital CCTV for the care and safety of our customers and drivers alike.

"What we did not appreciate was the high use of our CCTV system by the police who are able to use video evidence from buses in court.

"We feel that CCTV is now making an important contribution to safety, both on and off the vehicles because our bus cameras can act like mobile versions of Neighbourhood Watch. In fact you could say we have become Bus Watch!"

All Lancashire United buses will in future come with the CCTV systems already installed.