LABOUR councillors are calling for speed cameras to be brought back in Swindon.

The five cameras at three sites – Queens Drive, Oxford Road and the A420 – were turned off in 2009.

Now Labour group leader Jim Grant is calling for cameras to be brought back saying that speed limits must be enforced and police have other priorities.

But today Conservative councillor Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said speed cameras would not be returning.

He favours video surveillance at junctions to crack down on those who drive through red traffic lights and that speed-related crashes had not increased since the cameras were switched off.

“Speed cameras will not be returning to Swindon, but I have no problem in seeing high quality video cameras installed on road junctions," he said.

“I want to see video evidence used by the police in warnings and prosecutions for red light jumping, dangerous driving and in dealing with accidents.

“The council can do all the awareness campaigns, education initiatives and engineering improvements it likes but until the police properly enforce traffic laws then there will be rogue drivers who think they can get away with breaking the law on a regular basis.

"I believe this is a smarter, more targeted approach and I have my fingers crossed that we can get a pilot running in early 2017.”

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “Swindon’s speed cameras were switched off more than seven years ago by the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership before the group was dissolved.

“All the evidence since has shown this was the right decision because turning off the cameras has made no difference to accident statistics in the town.

"The council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Coun Dale Heenan, has been lobbying for the Road Safety Partnership to be reformed for some time, and this action was recently agreed to by the Police and Crime Commissioner during a road safety meeting about Thamesdown Drive.

“Two meetings have taken place in the last four weeks with the Police and Crime Commissioner and Wiltshire Council and we hope to see progress soon.”

Coun Peter Greenhalgh, who was Swindon Borough Council's lead member for transport in 2009, said at the time: “I would always urge people to drive safely and if people choose to break the speed limits they will of course be punished. The police are fully committed to road safety in Swindon.

“We believe there are better ways we can reduce the accidents on our roads than just through the use of speed cameras."

Here's how we reported on the turning off of the cameras.

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