POLICE have responded to residents who took to Twitter to criticise the location of a police speed camera van on Walney.

The van was parked on the Promenade in Walney much to the dismay on one eagle-eyed Twitter user called Michael Fay.

Mr Fay posted the photo on Twitter, after seeing it on a Facebook page, captioning it with the question aimed at Barrow Police: "Can you please explain the legality of this idiot's parking?"

Cumbria's speed cameras are managed by the Cumbria Safety Cameras partnership based at Police Headquarters in Penrith.

Police have since offered the following statement in response to residents' concern about the location of the van:

"One of the key priorities for Cumbria Constabulary is the reduction of the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on Cumbria’s roads each year.

"Excess or inappropriate speed is a factor in a high number of collisions involving fatalities and the most serious collisions on our roads. Additionally, the use of mobile phones whilst driving is a regular causation or contributory cause of road traffic collisions, and the failure to wear seatbelts significantly increases the severity of injuries sustained by many people who are involved in collisions.

"The vehicle seen in the photograph is one of a number operated by the Cumbria Road Safety Partnership and is a valuable piece of equipment in our armoury. The Safety Camera van not only detects offences of excess speed, but also offences of using a mobile telephone whilst driving and failing to wear seatbelt. Digital images are recorded of these offences and the offending drivers are dealt with by post in the same way as for a speeding offence.

"The Safety Camera Vans are deployed in response to analytical work undertaken by the multi-agency CRASH (Cumbria Roads And Safer Highways) partnership which responds to collision data and complaints from members of the public. Those locations where there is clear evidence of collision history or of regular excessive speed offences are targeted by the Safety Camera partnership in order to reduce the likelihood of collisions at the locality.

"The location shown on the photograph is clearly on the promenade on Walney. From the last ten deployments to that location, there have been an average of ten offences of excess speed detected, the highest being 49mph. This is clear evidence of the need to deploy the Safety Camera van at this location in order to improve the safety of the local community by reducing the likelihood of a serious collision.

"The photograph shows the Safety Camera van parked on the wide pavement on Walney promenade, and although not committing an offence by doing so as there is still ample room to pass by with a wheelchair or pushchair between the wall and the van, there is actually a far more acceptable location as shown on the photograph, on the road just prior to the double yellow lines.

"The operator of the vehicle on this occasion has been suitably advised regarding this and their future choice of location.”

There are just seven fixed location speed cameras in Cumbria, with three devices in the south of the county at Salthouse Road, Barrow, Millside on the A590 and Ings on the A591.

The partnership also operates cameras at around 300 mobile spots, including Abbey Road near to the Shell petrol station, the Coast Road near to Rampside, Michaelson Road Bridge and the Promenade on Walney.

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