Speed cameras will return to Black Country - but only if councils will fund them

Speed cameras in the Black Country, Birmingham and Solihull were switched off in 2013 to save money because the costs of processing and maintaining the outdated wet-film units were soaring.

In Birmingham and Solihull, however, councils are set to try new digital models which will go into the old yellow roadside boxes.

But they will only come to the Black Country if councils pay - around £30,000 each unit- to install the new cameras.

Councils, however, are facing their own funding problems with many axing jobs to try to cope with government funding cuts.

David Jamieson, the West Midlands PCC, said: "I prefer to call them safety cameras because that's what they are for.

"Whichever authorities want them, we will provide the enforcement and we will do the fines or send people on speed awareness courses.

"The government has backed away from road safety which I think is frankly a disgrace.

"The new cameras cost £30,000 each but they would have a long life. If an authority wants to buy them we will work on the enforcement."

Birmingham and Solihull are buying their cameras and it is expected they will be switched on in the summer.

When the cameras went off, West Midlands Police began using mobile cameras in vans.

They went from two to four.

Although the mobile cameras catch far more drivers each than an individual unit they have not been able to completely match the dozens of fixed cameras that used to be deployed.

One of the biggest hot spots for mobile speed camera stings was on the A4040 Sandwell Road in Handsworth, close to West Bromwich Albion's stadium. The southbound stretch alone saw 1,771 fines issued between January and November last year with 440 on the northbound stretch.

Manor Way, the Halesowen bypass, accounted for 1,285 fines, almost 10 times as much as in 2013.

Police have since been catching people going at 82mph in the 40mph zone.