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A man has refused to remove a fake speed camera gantry that he's erected on his property.
Mike Lacey, 72, of Beeston, Bedfordshire set up a realistic copy of four speed devices from yellow drainage piping to deter drivers speeding past his house on the A1.
However, the local council have told him he'll have to take it down as he doesn't have planning permission.
Mr Lacey said: "Until this year there was a speed camera in the village on the northbound carriageway and it is so old it broke down and they could not get it repaired. So in their ultimate wisdom they decided to take it out of commission."
He added: "But not only did they take it out commission they covered it up as well. If they left it alone it would have still been a speeding deterrent. I will take it down as soon as I get some form of speed control reinstated on the A1. Until that time they can forget it, I told them they are going to have to prosecute me."
He claims the device is "absolutely effective" at cutting driver's speed.
A spokesman for the RAC Foundation commented: "This sounds like a heartfelt cry for help. If people are prepared to go to these extraordinary lengths it suggests there is a problem that needs fixing. The camera debate often hinges on whether the devices are more about raising money than saving lives. But this is a reminder that for road-side residents the risk posed by speeding traffic feels very real and warrants more than the occasional police patrol.”
Bedfordshire Police said that Highways England is planning a road improvement scheme along this stretch of road and will be installing average speed cameras, but they don't know when yet.
Perhaps Mr Lacey's action will speed the decision making process along.
This is just down the road from us. The bloke has a history of erecting fake cameras for months/ years at a time, the last gatso alike was removed a couple of years ago.
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Posted by marksfish on Fri Sep 28, 2018 2:10 pm
