North Yorkshire fixed cameras could be brought in to stop speeding

Fixed cameras could be installed in some parts of North Yorkshire to clamp down on speeding drivers.

The county currently has no fixed cameras and police use mobile units to catch drivers over the speed limit.

Campaigners in the village of Cowling said drivers had been seen reaching up to 100mph (160km/h) in the area and they wanted cameras installed.

North Yorkshire Council said it would review enforcement across the county, including the use of fixed cameras.

Aire Valley councillor Andy Brown said in Cowling drivers had been regularly seen breaking the 30mph (48km/h)speed limit.

Gillian Taylor, who lives in Cowling, said: "Luckily nobody was killed but the quality of life is horrendous because people speed through here and people use it for racing and you can hear it all the time."

She said police mobile speed cameras were occasionally set up in the area but added: "They can't be everywhere.

"So without enforcement, I think the people who want to speed will continue."

Another resident, Graham Smout, said he had been overtaken by people driving up to 60mph (96km/h), which he said was "very intimidating".

He has asked police to install fixed and average speed cameras in the village.

North Yorkshire Council agreed on Tuesday to develop a new speed management strategy, which it said would take six months.

Councillor Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transportation, told BBC Look North the council was working with North Yorkshire Police on a "comprehensive review of enforcement".

"That could involve fixed or average speed cameras - that's something I think we need to explore," he said.

"From the perspective of the council, it's vitally important that what we do is effective, we shouldn't be setting speed limits where there is poor compliance or where enforcement is not going to happen."

Zoë Metcalfe, police, fire and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire and York, said she was "acutely aware of the communities concerns over road safety in Cowling".

She said last year she put £300,000 towards a review of enforcement, which would "help to inform whether the use of average speed cameras, fixed speed cameras or other technology can improve road safety".

"I am really keen to hear the outcome of the review, as we all are, but every community is different so I'm not expecting a blanket solution to fix all road safety concerns," she said.

"But we will be in a much better informed position than we are now."

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