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New safety measures on menu at service stations

Martin Heath
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Equipment on a black pole including three ANPR cameras, a CCTV camera and lights. The sky is the backdrop.Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
The improvements include advanced ANPR equipment and better CCTV

Safety measures worth £250,000 have been installed at two service stations on the M1.

Watford Gap and Northampton Services, both in Northamptonshire, now have advanced automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems, more CCTV cameras and better fencing.

The work has been funded by the county's police, fire and crime commissioner (PFCC).

Roadchef, which owns the two sites, said the improvements would create "safer, more secure environments for drivers".

Watford Gap Services opened in 1959 and became a meeting place for musicians in the 1960s, including The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

The 50th anniversary of the site inspired a musical in 2009.

Northampton Services, formerly known as Rothersthorpe, was originally due to be the UK's first service station, but did not open until 1979.

Martin Heath/BBC Single-storey service station building in brown, grey and red. There is a red Roadchef sign on a display screen to the left. Cars are parked outside the service station. There is a red bin in the background.Martin Heath/BBC
Watford Gap was Britain's first motorway service station
Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Entrance to service station, with modern single-storey building with glass frontage and curved entrance area. There are red bollards outside the entrance and cars parked in a car park.Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
Northampton Services was originally known as Rothersthorpe, after a nearby village

A Crimestoppers campaign has been launched to publicise information via leaflets and display boards on how to secure vehicles and prevent them being targeted by criminals.

The PFCC's office applied for the funding from the government's Safer Streets scheme.

Danielle Stone with short blond hair, wearing a white, black and red top and sitting in a modern hall with tables and plastic chairs.
Danielle Stone said the measures would deter criminal behaviour and free up police time

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: "This will make the venues more secure and help to deter criminal behaviour.

"This will then free up our police officers to spend more time being visible and accessible in their local communities."

Darrell Wade, from Roadchef, said: "These upgrades are vital in creating safer, more secure environments for drivers."

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