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Arsonists target Hampshire speed cameras
3:37pm Monday 16th July 2007
Comments (23)POLICE were today hunting arsonists waging a campaign against speed cameras in two Hampshire towns.
Two cameras were set alight in just a few days in Lee-on-the-Solent and Fareham by vandals who placed petrol-soaked tyres over the cameras and set light to them.
The first camera was targeted in Marine Parade West, Lee-on-the-Solent and the second in Gosport Road, Fareham.
A Hampshire Police spokeswoman said that officers were examining CCTV footage and carrying out house-to-house inquiries.
Conservative member of Fareham Borough Council Dennis Steadman said he was disappointed by the public's reaction to the attack when he visited the burnt-out camera.
He said: "There were whoops of delight coming from the cars, but I'm afraid that's the culture we live in today."
Julian Hewitt, spokesman for Hampshire's Safer Roads Partnership, said the Fareham camera was installed after 39 collisions between 1998 and 2000, with eight of these accidents resulting in death or serious injury.
He said that five youths aged about 14 were seen to run away from the camera after the attack.
"This attack on road safety equipment is disrespectful to the victims of the collisions that have occurred on that site and displays the same sort of mindless behaviour as the vandalising of lifebelts and other life-saving equipment,'' he said.
"The cost of any repairs is met out of public money that would otherwise be invested in a range of road safety initiatives.
"The partnership is determined that any attacks on cameras will not prevent enforcement on these casualty routes and mobile units will always make certain that the road is protected until any damage can be repaired."
Your Say YourThis is Hampshire
King Mush, Woolston says...
3:50pm Mon 16 Jul 07
Harvey Wallbanger, says...
4:50pm Mon 16 Jul 07
Lee Whitbread wrote:
It is very sad that someone has attempted to destroy a speed camara. these camara\\\'s are there to do a job and save life.
displays the same sort of mindless behaviour as the vandalising of lifebelts and other life-saving equipment,'' he said.
this made me laugh out loud! if he really thinks that is the case, he's really out of touch with what the public think.
I'm against vandalism, but this is not comparable.
Oldman, says...
5:00pm Mon 16 Jul 07
Where are the stats for 2000 to 2007 ???? Why didn't she quote the fantastic figures that prove the great benefit they have brought .. How many lives have been saved or serious injuries prevented! It would suggest then that they haven't worked hence no figures given out and proves that they just put the police in a bad light and loose them much needed public support. Roll on bonfire night!
ade, southampton says...
9:02pm Mon 16 Jul 07
lies **** lies and statistics, soton says...
9:10pm Mon 16 Jul 07
People say speed kills, well i'm sure that bad driving kills, even small things you know you see them all day long...i.e... lang hoggers on motorways..there is a rumour that the inside lane is just of more than lorries or caravans... these idiots kill a **** sight more,.,,,but how can you fix that,,,,well you cant,...the system was bad enough to give poor drivers a license...you cant take it away... SO... plan 'b' blame speed alone and tax them with speed fines alone.
King Mush, Woolston says...
9:11pm Mon 16 Jul 07
I didnt know that mobility scooters go that fast.......
King Mush, Woolston says...
9:13pm Mon 16 Jul 07
I guess most convictions are on the westbound sections?
lies da mn lies and stattistics, soton says...
9:20pm Mon 16 Jul 07
a) ban lorries from leaving lane 1 in rush hours on certain stretches of motorways . They do it in Germany with great effect.
b) Why does white van man feel the need the to red line his van at 90mps up the motorway in a rush to pout his feet up, get the kettle on and read the sun until 11am when the materials arrive. Why not restrict all commercial vehicles to 60mph... lorries have it why not the rest?,,,
c) Ban cranes.. yes i mean you king lifting from screwing up the m3 north bound ever day going at 40mph through the rush hour. Yet loads more crane companies seem to be heading south bound,,,can you guys not communicate?..
d) Ban Abnormal loads in travellking in rush hour, god i'm sure those old fashioned trains have to be at their destination by 5.45... just in time for the theme park to shut?....
rant over people.... join the crusade... dont forget next year you are all paying £1 per mile on motorways in congestion charging... Still voting for Brown now?.....
John B, Eastleigh says...
9:23pm Mon 16 Jul 07
Betty Swollocks, southampton says...
9:24pm Mon 16 Jul 07
The one at Lee on Solent is to make money also, its on the way out of 'Lee'(where you natuarally increase to 40mph) and not the way in. Put them outside Schools or in natural 30mph zones. Not the ambiguous area's! You are so loosing the public support! Now for the justification replies.............
..
Bertie, Totton says...
9:46pm Mon 16 Jul 07
As I am from Totton and dont really know Latin, I will have to write it in English 'Who guards the guards?'
Also if we see one of these vans speeding, is it worth reporting it to the 'safer roads' people or will they just laugh and ignore it?
Adrian Smith, Eastleigh says...
10:17pm Mon 16 Jul 07
"Much like the camera's in Southampton these are about making money."
This is one tax that is easy to avoid - if you know how.
"The camera's outside Liesure world are not needed as their is a pelican crossing near it."
I don't follow - how does that crossing help catch speeding, law breaking, drivers?
Robert, says...
11:26pm Mon 16 Jul 07
Robert, says...
4:50am Tue 17 Jul 07
I'm not so sure that setting light to these speed cameras was quite the "mindless behaviour" that the self-righteous Julian Hewitt supposes.
Lewis has become a hate figure for many people, and the assailants may have had a very clear purpose in mind, namely to give him one in the eye and deflate his ego a little.
I was wicked enough to feel a little twitch of exhilaration when I read of this raid.
You can be most anxious about road safety but not of the same school of thought as Julian Lewis.
Andy Pearce, Bucharest says...
7:41am Tue 17 Jul 07
quoteConservative member of Fareham Borough Council Dennis Steadman said he was disappointed by the public's reaction to the attack when he visited the burnt-out camera.
He said: "There were whoops of delight coming from the cars, but I'm afraid that's the culture we live in today."
Andy Pearce, Bucharest says...
7:55am Tue 17 Jul 07
Andy Pearce wrote:Sorry IT skills let me down.
quoteConservative member of Fareham Borough Council Dennis Steadman said he was disappointed by the public's reaction to the attack when he visited the burnt-out camera. He said: "There were whoops of delight coming from the cars, but I'm afraid that's the culture we live in today."
What I meant to say was well said Dennis, we are supposed to live in a civilised society vandalism of this sort is a crime against the whole community. The question of if a speed camera is right or wrong, in the wrong place etc cannot be answered in this way.
As for the correctness of speed cameras reducing accidents statistics can be made to prove anything. Speed limits are set for the "average" driver in certain conditions and are used in conjunction with sound driving proceedures (The highway code). Any one who gets behind the wheel of a car considersthemselves to be the best driver on the road, how many drivers (myself included) ever admitt the accident was thier fault?
Reducing the speed at which you drive increases the available reaction time in the event of an unplanned event, a child steps into the road, a car pulls out in front of you, a tree falls accross the road. Increased reaction time helps the driver to decide on a course of action, brake/swerve etc.
If you want to see the effect of uncontrolled driving come to Bucharest, its anarchy on the roads and pavements.look at these junctions to see what I mean www.liveromania.ro
We must have rules and those rules must be enforced (right or wrong)
Andy, Locks Heath says...
8:36am Tue 17 Jul 07
Anyone over 70 needs to retake their driving test every 5 years. BTW Robert I liked your freudian slip referring to Julian Hewitt as Julian Lewis!
lake, says...
10:35am Tue 17 Jul 07
Peter, Oxford says...
12:23pm Tue 17 Jul 07
Tony, Hampshire says...
11:27am Wed 18 Jul 07
Ask your MP & Local Councilors why road deaths are down 4% in Europe and 1% in the UK?
David, USA says...
3:09pm Mon 13 Aug 07
Flo Jo, Hampshire/Wiltshire Border says...
4:04pm Wed 15 Aug 07
parts trying to Navigate to Marwell Zoo with 3 screaming kids that get flashed doing 34mph by a robot that enforces the law! The other thing that really troubles me personally is the local PLOD trying new random spots everyday. Like Friday a PC was taking pot shots outside the front of the police station, then again 8.30 on Monday morning, one was trying to be clever standing over the lip of a hill, but he didnt see me in time and a comedy moment accured when the officer and question almost dropped him speed gun trying to zap me. It would of been a fair nick as I was going to fast and to be honest not wise on that stretch of road. But were are they when a youngsters are racing past my window all night doing 70mph in a 30mph residental.
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Lee Whitbread, Southamtpton says...
3:47pm Mon 16 Jul 07