Four young men from Boston in Lincolnshire have been watched online by three million (and counting), bending a vandalised bike-rack back into position, their 3am efforts to repair the twisted metal hoop. Boston Borough Council released CCTV images that were sent wirelessly to the town’s control room using equipment by outdoor wireless CCTV company, Wavesight. Operators zoomed in on the youths as they carefully bent the bike rack into position. Two of the four who repaired the bike rack damaged by a car appeared on American chat show Right This Minute, interviewed by Skype, and received applause from the studio. See http://www.rightthisminute.com/
Comments received by the council from readers of the article on the council’s website have included: Love this article. Inspiring story. Well done Boston – International superstars! Dwight, Texas; Well done boys! I have two sons in their teens and twenties and would like to think they would do the same. You should be very proud of yourselves and I hope you are suitably rewarded!
And they were – Dean Mason (23), Martin Griggs (24), Simon McMillan (23) and Dan Butler (23) received a certificate of commendation from Mayor of Boston, Cllr Paul Kenny, at the next full council meeting.
And the owner of the Boston Delight fast-food shop, next to the bike rack in Boston Market Place, gave the four a slap-up meal as a reward. A Boston Borough Council CCTV operator recorded their activities at 3am on a town centre camera when they set about the metal bicycle rack. They used their muscle to unbend the previously-damaged thick metal hoop which had been twisted almost down to the ground.
They wrestled for 13 minutes to straighten the stand, taking great care to be sure, once they got it moving, that they got it perfectly upright.
In July, the facilities management company, OCS updated the Boston CCTV system by removing the old analogue cameras and leased fibre lines. Fitted were Wavesight’s transmission products and Panasonic IP cameras.
Steve Pittom, MD for Wavesight, says: “This is a very powerful image for us. It clearly shows the quality of the images that can be transmitted wirelessly in real-time. It is often said that a picture paints a thousand words, and this was never so true as when the CCTV operators in Boston witnessed the un-vandalising of a piece of street furniture. For it to make headline news, due not only to the nature of what was happening, but also on account of the quality of the images broadcasting this impressive DIY repair job to the masses, is a testimony to our skills in ensuring that wireless CCTV technology really works and provides an excellent solution that meets client needs.”
The footage, which has already received about three million views from around the world, was aired on BBC and ITV news, can be seen on Youtube by this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7nl2DujHlM
Meanwhile a ballot of levy payers has voted not to continue with Boston BID (Business Improvement District) for another five years. Out of 239 votes cast, 115 were in favour – 48 per cent, with 50 per cent needed for BID to win another term. BID is due to come to an end at the end of November.
Peter Bedford, leader of Boston Borough Council, said: “The council regrets that the ballot has gone against the continuation of Boston BID. I do need to scotch immediately rumours already doing the rounds that the council will fund the Town Rangers. There is no truth in this. The council has no plans to pick up the bill for the Rangers.”
