Swindon keeps promise to dismantle its speed cameras

Swindon town council has gone ahead with its plan to turn off all the fixed speed cameras in the town.

The council voted back in April to close down the town's five fixed speed cameras saying it would look at alternative measures to improve road safety.

But national road safety charity Brake said it was "appalled" at the decision, adding that the council was "entering a very dangerous experiment with people's lives".

Swindon council says it has installed temporary vehicle warning signs at the three sites where the speed cameras formally operated.

Cllr Peter Greenhalgh, Swindon council cabinet member for sustainability, transport and strategic planning said: "I'm very pleased at the positive way in which the police and our other partners have risen to the challenge we set.

"In Swindon we are developing a reputation for challenging the status quo and being at the forefront of new thinking. Our sole aim is to find new and more effective ways to reduce road accidents within our current budget.

"Not only have our partners responded positively to the removal of fixed cameras, they've also led in reshaping the road safety partnership into a model that's attracting interest from elsewhere."

But Brake, have said speed cameras are proven to cut speeds, saying: "They do not affect anyone apart from those drivers who break the law".

Brake's senior communications officer, Jane Whitham, said: "As a charity committed to stopping road crashes and the misery they cause, Brake wholeheartedly opposes this reckless decision.

"In removing its speed cameras, Swindon borough council is entering into a very dangerous experiment with people's lives. Staying well within speed limits is essential for everyone's safety and speed cameras are an important tool in catching drivers who insist on breaking the law and putting lives in danger."