Home Secretary David Blunkett is facing a demand to probe the conduct of the then Acting Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Richard Thomas, in a contract to install Open Circuit Television (OCTV) in Monmouth which never worked.

The plea came from Monmouth's MP Huw Edwards who has tabled a Commons question for answer by Mr Blunkett today.

The project to provide OCTV cameras using mobile phone technology was set up in 1997 as a partnership between Monmouth Town Council, Shawley Ltd and Gwent Police.

But the plans were finally withdrawn when the images could not be improved to meet the requirements of the judicial system.

An inquiry into Mr Thomas' connection with Shawley Ltd and the OCTV project in Monmouth has been carried out by Gwent Police, but they have refused to make their findings public.

Mr Edwards' question on the order paper, reads: "To ask if the home secretary will set up an investigation into the proprietary of the contract to install open circuit television in Monmouth and the role of the then acting chief constable of Gwent Police Richard Thomas, and if he will make a statement."

Mr Edwards said at Westminster: "Gwent police has carried out its own inquiry but have refused to publish the report. I've been told that the Government has no power to force Gwent police to publish the report.

"I have written to the chief constable to request that the report be made public."

During 1999/2000 the open circuit television cameras, were installed at a number of locations in Monmouth and it was soon discovered that the images do not meet the needs of Gwent police to secure a conviction in the courts.

A statement issued at the time said: "The OCTV system planned for Monmouth has not been developed to the standards needed to meet operational police requirements."