£136,800 speed cameras bill feared

Repairing vandalised speed cameras and making dummy sites look like they are in use will cost West Midlands taxpayers up to £136,800 a year, it was revealed today.

Transport chiefs have already scrapped £750,000 of funding for the 304 speed camera sites around the region but police pay £1m to keep them running at blackspots.

It today emerged that removing disused cameras would cost £1,200 a time while just keeping signs, markings and housings looking like they are in use will cost £200 each.

The cost of vandalism could send the fee soaring even higher.

A report to councillors revealed that 19 cameras were vandalised last year costing between £2,500 and £4,000 each to repair.