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Vigilantes attack £24,000 speed camera


The damaged speed camera at Mere Brow

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26 July 2008
By Chris Visser
It's been torched twice and now it's in a bit of a twist.
But road safety bosses say it's no laughing matter that the speed camera on The Marshes Lane at Mere Brow has been attacked again.

The £24,000 camera, on the B5246, was set on fire twice in 2004, leading to Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety threatening to put up another camera to monitor the Gatso.

Now, they say they would consider the idea again after the camera was damaged for a third time.

But anti-speed camera campaigners have questioned the idea and sympathise with those taking the law into their own hands.

Claire Armstrong, of Safespeed.org.uk, said: "We have probably got law-abiding citizens feeling so infuriated they have to show the government what they feel about it by taking direct action.

"We sympathise with them but we don't agree with it – we don't condone law breaking. I can understand how frustrated someone can be,
especially, say, if they have lost their job for driving a few miles over a set limit.

"If they put up a camera to monitor the camera, they will attack that one too. What do you do then? Put a camera up to monitor that camera? How far do you go?"Tarleton Coun Rosemary Evans said: "We cannot support any damage. I don't agree with it and am disappointed.

"We pay for these speed cameras – if anyone decides to damage these in any way we are being penalised.

"The majority of drivers do stick to speed limits, but there are a mindless few who choose to speed through our villages.

Linda Sanderson, communications manager for the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said: "An officer has gone over to it. We need to find out if it has been criminal damage.

"If it is, then we will investigate which can lead to arrests."

When asked if a second camera could be installed to keep an eye on the speed camera, she said: "If there has been criminal damage, that is one of our options if it is necessary."

A spokeswoman for Brake, the road safety charity, said: "Brake is appalled that someone can have such blatant disregard for road safety measures.

"Speed cameras discourage speeding on our roads and are put in places which are known for speeding traffic."

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