'Fake speed camera was bliss, we're sad it's gone'

The fake speed camera appeared on 10 November

A community that installed a fake speed camera which was swiftly removed by the council said it did more to reduce speeding than any measure taken by the local authority.

Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for its installation but a sign paying tribute to the camera has appeared on Sandhurst Road in Catford, south-east London, in recent days.

Alison Howard told BBC London it made "a massive difference" and "you could see the traffic going much slower" along the 20mph (32km/h) road.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: "We strongly discourage people from putting up fake signs or cameras. Residents who do this run the risk of legal action if these lead to an accident."

Sited in a planter beside the road and believed to be made of plywood, the fake camera was installed on a pole that was almost the height of a double-decker bus.

It was put up on 10 November and removed two days later.

A total of 1,187 vehicles were seen speeding at 25mph or above in one week in February 2024, according to data from Lewisham Council.

The camera was nicknamed "Speedy"

Another resident, Matthew, told BBC London: "That camera changed things instantly. Cars and buses were sticking to the speed limit, the road felt less dangerous, less noisy. It was bliss.

"Then the council ripped it out and things are back to normal - the council is doing nothing to make this road safe.

"In fact, they're doing less than nothing - they're ripping out things that were helping. They keep promising to do something, year after year, but absolutely nothing has happened.

"All we want is somewhere safe and pleasant to live."

William Bloomfield, who co-founded the nearby Together for Verdant Lane community group which has dozens of members, told the BBC there have also been issues with speeding in surrounding roads.

He said: "I think the fact that someone took what must've been a lot of their time and money to create this demonstrates the levels of frustration with the lack of action by the council on serious problems in our community.

"I don't support people breaking the law, and I'm glad the camera didn't contribute to any injuries, but I also think that if Lewisham Council is paying attention they should take note.

"People have started taking the law into their own hands because the people with the authority to make change are notably absent."

The Lewisham Council spokesperson added: "We've been working closely with residents on Sandhurst Road to address their concerns regarding speeding and recognise their ongoing frustration.

"The council is not responsible for installing speed cameras or speed enforcement, but we have made TfL aware of residents' concerns.

"We're in the process of introducing new measures to calm traffic and prevent inconsiderate parking, which causes severe disruption to pedestrians, particularly those with children or mobility issues."

A TfL spokesperson said: "We're determined to make roads across London safer and safety camera locations are carefully chosen according to where they can have the biggest impact in reducing road danger.

"These cameras are not part of the safety camera network. We'll continue working with the council to make roads across the borough safer for everyone."