M56 Eastbound Junction 14-15 - was it a speed camera ?

[dspugh]

Hi,
Was travelling Eastbound on the M56 this morning. Between Junction 15 (M53) and 14 (Chester Services), a man was on a bridge with a camera on a stand. He wore an illuminous jacket, but there was no sign of a police vehicle. He was pointint the camera at the 3rd, fast lane.

Has anybody got any idea if this was a Police Speed camera ?

Thanks

[Darren]

[dspugh]

How can I find out - my TomTom didnt warn that it was a potential location, but my file could be old ?

Do Cheshire Police not have to announce where they are checking speeds ?

[Darren]

[oldisnew]

On Wednesday 18th Aug 2010, at about 8:15 - 8:30pm on M56 Eastbound Junction 10 - 9, a man was on a bridge over the M56, with a long lens camera on a stand. The bridge was on a road between Barleycastle Ln and Swineyard Ln, Appleton. The man wore a yellow luminous jacket with no luminous white bands and he did not have a cap on his head. He was positioned over the middle lane, which I was driving along. Last April forum visitor D S Pugh had the same experience on the M56 Eastbound between Junctions 14 & 15. Did anyone ever find out whether this was a Police Speed Camera, since I am also left wondering what this was?

[exportman]

Could have been a stobart fan looking for a new truck!

[M8TJT]

Could also have been a twitcher or an anarak on the wrong line

[oldisnew]

Most cars had some or all lights on, since it was very close to sunset and lighting up time. If it was a Stobart fan, I wonder why he would face his camera towards the failing daylight from the West?

[M8TJT]

Seriously though, without seeing the man with the cam, it's difficult to guess what he was doing. Your description of a camera with a long lens does not seem to fit with a handy or tripod mounted speed cam. But any guess at what he was doing is as good as any other.

[oldisnew]

Unfortunately the man with the cam was only spotted at close range, so there wasn't much time to view him. If it was a tripod mounted speed cam that he was stood behind, perhaps it was a type of Autopatrol PR-100, if that makes sense.

[M8TJT]

Well, it sounds like it was a speed trap then if it was an autopatrol PR-100. That cam does look like a cam with a telephoto, but I thought that they used laser devices these days

[oldisnew]

Thanks for your reply M8TJT. If it was a speed trap, I wonder whether DSPugh ever heard any more after April 27th, when the previous conversation dried up. On the brighter side, I've found that there is someone, by the name of Simon Walsh, who is taking photos of lorries on the M56. Here are a couple of links:-
http://www.lorryspotting.com/newsArticle.asp?nID=1123959715
http://www.lorryspotting.com/newsArticle.asp?nID=1123959876

[oldisnew]

Further to my reply posted on Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:52 pm, the mystery of what the camera man was doing on the M56 bridge remains unsolved. Maybe this is just as well, who knows?

[mkelbie]

I have been travelling on this route for 3 weeks straight now and on Tuesday 16th October at around J14 I saw this very same man on the bridge around 16:00 hours.

I always question my speed when I see what I think is a mobile speed trap so now I have another 12days+ of hell worrying about this.

Can anyone confirm if it was a speed trap as there was no police patrol vehicles I could see nor was there any van on the bridge with this man.

Would appreciate if someone could confirm cause this could put me on 9 points now until March.

[Andy_P]

No need to post twice, your posts will get seen

But I don't think anyone is going to be able to say for sure. As Darren said above....

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