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We'll rip out your speed cameras

Apr 2 2004


By Robert Merrick Daily Post


NORTH Wales police chief Richard Brunstrom will be forced by a future Tory government to rip out speed cameras put up as "cash cows".

In an interview ahead of his speech in Llandudno today, Conservative leader Michael Howard said he would carry out a nationwide audit to identify the location of every speed camera.

Once the public knew which speed traps were in the wrong places, individual chief constables would be unable to resist the pressure to act, he said.

Mr Howard said he did not want to "personalise the issue" by discussing Mr Brunstrom's views but insisted there were genuine concerns that cameras were put up to raise money.

He said: "There should only be cameras where they make a real contribution to road safety, not where they are collecting another stealth tax.

"Our audit would identify those which are not for road safety reasons and make it clear it is not legitimate to have any further ones for revenue-raising reasons."

Mr Howard would not be drawn on the controversy surrounding the Environment Agency's refusal to allow dredging of the River Dee - preventing Airbus shipping its wings from Mostyn Docks.

But he attacked the Richard Commission report demanding new legislative powers for the Welsh Assembly as an unnecessary distraction from the task of improving services.

Mr Howard said: "The public of Wales expect politicians to be thinking about dealing with the problems of Wales, which are very considerable, not whether the Assembly should have more power."

But the Tory leader said that did not mean he would oppose greater powers - insisting the Conservatives would consider the Richard report fully.

Mr Howard said it was too early to reveal Tory target seats in North Wales at the next election.

And he insisted he was not daunted in his bid to be the first ever Welsh-born Prime Minister - David Lloyd George having been born in Manchester.

Mr Howard said: "I don't think that record will decide the out-come of the next election, which we have an excellent chance of winning.

"We have made very good progress and I think we can do much better in Wales than people think.

"But, in terms of seats, we only need to win enough to contribute to winning the election."

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Is this the "Every speeder is a full time criminal, except my daughter who got let off because the Sun caught her and they didn't know how to use the radar gun properly" Richard Brunstrom?

His police force would go bankrupt if they insisted on doing this.

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Why does no-one whine about muggers, rapists and murderers any more? Because drivers are the REAL criminals.......