Bedfordshire Police: Speed cameras and sponsorship 'may fund police'

Olly Martins has suggested turning variable M1 speed cameras on permanently to boost finances

Turning on M1 speed cameras permanently and having sponsored uniforms and cars could help bolster a cash-strapped force's coffers, a police and crime commissioner has said.

Olly Martins told the Home Affairs Select Committee the force's "desperate financial plight" left him "no option".

The Bedfordshire commissioner said he was "actively looking" at ways to generate more money.

The Alliance of British Drivers called his comments "utterly obnoxious".

Olly Martins said Bedfordshire Police was "stretched to the limit"

Mr Martins said the county's force was "stretched to the limit" with 169 officers per 100,000 population against a national average of 232 and 388 in London.

The county has the fourth highest level of gun crime per head, fifth highest level of burglary, robbery and vehicle crime, seventh highest level of knife crime, and a high terror threat, he said.

The commissioner has already lost in a council tax referendum asking for the public's permission to increase the police precept and launched a petition calling on the government to ensure the force is adequately funded.

'More officers'

He told the committee that unless the force's grant funding was "realigned to the reality of the county's policing challenges" he would have to use his powers to permanently turn on the cameras between junctions 10 and 13, one of the busiest stretches of the motorway.

Asked whether easyJet could sponsor the county's "panda cars", Mr Martins said: "I'd welcome it because that's an alternative to reducing our police numbers below a level that I think is already putting our force in a position of not being viable."

The speed cameras are linked to variable limits, which can be reduced to below 70mph when there is congestion, a crash or bad weather.

The majority of speed fine revenue goes to the government, but Mr Martin's office said a proportion goes to the local force.

"Strict enforcement of the speed limit could raise £1m and to me that's better than losing 25 more police officers," Mr Martins said.

"I am running out of levers to pull to keep Bedfordshire Police financially viable," he said.

Hugh Bladon, from voluntary lobby group group the Alliance of British Drivers, criticised the idea of making money from speed cameras.

"These cameras are alleged to make roads safer, they are not to make money for the police or government or anyone and to suggest that it is... I'm lost for words," he said.

"It is completely contrary to anything to do with road safety and utterly obnoxious."