CRIMINALS in Blaenau Ffestiniog are being aided by an unlikely source - spiders.

Councillors at a recent Ffestiniog Town Council sub committee were told that footage caught on CCTV cameras across the town were being obscured by spiders and their webs, making the images useless to police trying to solve crimes.

Kevin Jones, who is helping to orchestrate the changeover, said that one of the biggest problems facing the cameras was spiders and webs obscuring the lenses.

He added that the cameras would have to be checked regularly and thoroughly cleaned each quarter.

It was agreed that the town clerk will now be responsible for checking the cameras from the council office on a weekly basis to ensure they can transmit a clear image.