Traffic cameras cut down hours after going up

Traffic cameras put up on a major city route have been hacked down hours after being installed.

The device had been put up on the A3024 Northam Bridge in Southampton on Tuesday to monitor speed and red light offences.

It was fitted on the road's central island, which has been home to a conventional speed camera for several years, to capture two-way traffic across all lanes over the bridge.

The pole holding the new equipment was found sliced through on Wednesday morning, causing the T-shaped camera mount to topple and smash.

The cameras are designed to capture drivers who are going through red lights as well as telling how fast they are going.

Sgt Jamie Dobson, from Hampshire's Roads Policing Unit, said: "Speeding is one of the 'Fatal Four' most common causes of fatal and serious injury collisions on our roads.

"Speed cameras like these act as a deterrent to would-be speeders and are vital in helping us ensure the safety of all motorists.

"It is extremely concerning that anyone would take it upon themselves to vandalise these cameras."

Update 15 January 2025: A previous version of this story incorrectly said the cameras used artificial intelligence to look for offences.

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