Speed camera attacked (From Oxford Mail)

Speed camera attacked

10:19pm Monday 7th January 2008 in News By Hayley Cover

A speed camera was damaged and set on fire following a vandal attack.

A householder living near the camera, on the A420 at Cumnor, near Oxford, alerted the police after seeing flames.

The member of the public told police they had seen someone attempting to cut the housing from the camera, located in a 50mph zone opposite the turn for Hartwell Landrover, just before 9.50pm, on Sunday. The resident said the attacker then set it alight, Thames Valley Police Safer Roads Partnership spokesman Dan Campsall said: "We don't normally have a problem in this area.

"At this stage we wouldn't know if the person who damaged the camera had received a ticket and was disgruntled, or if it was someone who was just anti-speed cameras."

He added: "It will be fixed. The priority is to make sure that it is safe.

"We will assess the level of damage to the housing and make a decision to remove it or repair it."

Thames Valley Police are investigating the incident.