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A Merseyside technology company helped newly promoted football club Burnley meet the contract terms of the FA Premier League and will help secure the safety of thousands of fans this season.

Knowsley based Aerelink specialises in integrated wireless communications and was appointed by local police to provide wireless infrastructure linking the CCTV from Burnley FC’s ground to police headquarters allowing them to monitor and identify troublemakers.

The Club's return to top flight football this season came with an obligation to provide local police with the ground’s CCTV streaming as a Premier League contract stipulation. A solution had to be found and installed quickly and efficiently.

As there was little time to engage a traditional carrier (BT) to install the links, Lancashire Police approached Aerelink. They installed an Alvarion Point to Point wireless system, linked to Axis Video encoders, to convert the analogue video signals to a form that could be carried by the radio, then back to video format.

The system carries four video streams, three of which are duplicates of the CCTV at the Turf Moor ground, going from the ground to Burnley Police headquarters. The police were then able to access the footage seen by the stewards.  The third stream is a view from a camera in the town centre, giving the stewards on site advanced warning of any trouble heading their way.

The system installed by Aerelink provided a solution for the police to respond in a quick and safe manner to any problem incidents, it was installed in record time and completed for Burnley’s first home game, where they managed a shock victory against Manchester United.

Director of Aerelink Ian Maynard said: “We were delighted to work with Lancashire Police and Burnley Football Club on this project securing the safety of the fans and general public at the ground and surrounding areas.  It’s good to know that our technology will make a difference for what is proving to be a promising season for Burnley”.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said “We are commitment to giving the public maximum reassurance when it comes to their safety and security and were more than happy with the speed of delivery and the function of the solution provided by Aerelink.

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