Residents of a whole street have banded together to set up a CCTV system amid fears of break-ins, gang crime and home invasions.

Fed up with skyrocketing crime in Melbourne's western suburbs, homeowners have rigged up cameras that anyone in the group can watch at any time.

They say it makes them feel safe and works out cheaper than if they installed individual security cameras.

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Residents in Melbourne's crime-ridden west have rigged their whole street with CCTV in fear of robberies (pictured) and home invasions

The residents (pictured) pay a fee to access the whole network of cameras and can watch the feeds at any time of day or night

Home invasions have plagued Melbourne in recent months, and residents of the new estate in Melton are particularly concerned, A Current Affair reported.

'The crime that's happening in the home invasions, they're violent. There's an increase in the violence involved in that and that's really concerning,' said one local.

'If your house doesn't have protection you're a hot target, you're a sitting duck,' said another.

Homeowners on the quiet street pay $400 for membership which allows them access to all of the cameras on the network, 24 hours a day.

Residents are concerned as crime is spiraling out of control in whole swathes of the city, with violent robberies (pictured) worrying homeowners

They say that the CCTV system means they can leave their homes without worrying about violent criminals (pictured) breaking into their homes

They also pay a $150 annual fee, but say that it works out cheaper than buying individual surveillance systems and is well worth the money.

'It's so nice to be able to go away or go to work and know that our kids are safe at home,' said one happy member of the neighbourhood group.

Other residents joined the network after being told that their preferred solutions were illegal.

One father was told by council that he could not put up barbed wire to protect his home.

Members of the neighbourhood group can view the security camera feeds on an app (pictured)

Jeremy Stewart from Swann Security sells the latest in camera technology, and says that half his customers buy CCTV cameras after becoming victims of crime.

Police have warned that many criminals are undeterred by CCTV, and urge homeowners to call Triple Zero (000) if they see suspicious activity.

Crime levels in Melbourne's western suburbs have been rising at an alarming rate as violent gangs run amok.

In some suburbs the situation is so dire that residents don't go out after dark and are afraid to leave their children at home.