Speeders duped by bird box camera

23 February 2010

Speeding motorists have mistaken a yellow bird box for a speed camera on a road in the North East.

Retired police officer Bill Angus put the box up on a pole outside his property on the Sunderland Road, near Houghton-le-Spring in Durham.

But since it was erected wary drivers have taken their foot off the gas while driving past the box and through the village.

The 64-year-old said that although Sunderland Road has a 30mph limit, motorists often sped along at 70mph - making it difficullt for people to reverse out of their drives and onto the road.

Mr Angus had written to the authorities over the speeding problem several times since 2000. He added: "If people want to think it is a speed camera and if it slows them down, then that's fantastic, but for all intents and purposes it is a bird box. Everyone round here thinks it's brilliant. My son and his family came over from New York and they just couldn't believe the difference and it's all down to this bird box."

Copyright © Press Association 2010