Speed camera trial 'paused' after no warnings sent

A trial to reintroduce speed cameras to Swindon - the first authority to switch its cameras off 15 years ago - has been paused after the council revealed no warning letters had been sent, and no action taken against speeding drivers.

The five ANPR cameras were installed near schools and residential areas earlier this year in a bid to make roads safer.

Swindon Borough Council said "no data has been collected" and Wiltshire Police told the BBC no information has been shared with them.

Local parent Katy Hadden described the scheme as "absolutely disgusting, a total waste of time and money".

Katy Hadden walks her two daughters to school on Croft Road, where one of the cameras is in place.

"I see drivers speeding every day, the walk to school makes me anxious. The camera isn't having any impact," she said.

"We seem to have learnt nothing from recent events on other roads across Swindon, so what needs to happen next for them to take road safety seriously?"

When the project was launched by a then-Labour run council, it stated that if drivers were caught going over the speed limit, they could receive a warning letter and information being shared with the police.

Unlike police-run speed cameras, they are not used to give out punishments to speeding drivers but have radar to detect and record speed.

Now, after the recent local elections, Councillor Nick Gardiner, the Conservative cabinet member for Highways and Transport, has halted the pilot.

"I have reviewed the scheme and taken the decision to pause it until the necessary governance, data-sharing and operational arrangements are properly in place," he said.

Labour councillor Chris Watts said the pilot was in an early development and evaluation stage.

"The five test sites are essential for gathering baseline data, alongside other monitoring methods, to understand how different deployment styles perform," he said.

He also argued that "their (speed cameras) presence has a demonstrable positive impact on driver behaviour."

He accused the Conservatives of an "overtly and unnecessarily political" statement on the matter.

The cameras were made and installed by Westcotec.

A spokesperson said: "All data recorded is owned in its entirety by the customer, in this case Swindon Council; Westcotec have no access to any information recorded by our equipment in this application."

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.