Damaged speed camera will work again

2:09pm Wednesday 14th February 2007

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A SPEED camera attacked twice within an hour will be working again tomorrow.

Vandals placed burning tyres on the device on Monday night, slighty damaging the front of the camera.

Firefighters were called to the speed camera at the junction with Midfield Way and Chipperfield Road in St Paul's Cray at 7.27pm.

Two tyres were hung on the piece of metal which attaches the camera device to its post.

They were stuffed with paper and ignited with a flammable liquid, believed to be petrol.

Parts of the material had fallen to the ground and set fire to the discarded container of flammable liquid, close to a bus shelter.

Firefighters from Sidcup fire station put out the fire and left the tyres as evidence for the police.

However, at 8.24pm, they were called to the same camera and found it alight again.

The same tyres had been ignited, again with a flammable liquid.

A Bromley Police spokesman said officers were called to reports of a youth using an aerosol can to make flames.

The boy could not be found.

Police then received the second call saying the camera had been re-ignited.

A Sidcup fire station spokesman said: "We have not got the facility to move products.

"We have to be very careful not to erase evidence."

A London Safety Camera Partnership spokesperson said: "The mindless vandalism of this speed camera could have endangered other peoples lives, however the camera was only slightly damaged and will be operational again shortly.

"Before this cameras was installed there were four people seriously injured at this site.

"Speed cameras play a critical role in improving road safety in London.

"At camera sites installed by the London Safety Camera Partnership there has been, on average, a 50 per cent reduction in the numbers of people killed or seriously injured at those sites."