POLICE remain undecided on what to do with a speed camera in Dorset which was set on fire last summer. 

A speed camera in Ringwood Road, going through Three Legged Cross, was subject to an arson attack in August 2021 and has been out of use since. 

A brown cover has been placed over the speed camera, which has been left heavily damaged from the attack. 

But Dorset Police remain undecided on what to do with the unused camera, with the current method of deterrent being speed camera vans. 

Read more: Motorist receives a speeding ticket in Barrack Road driving under the limit

Bournemouth Echo: Speed camera in Ringwood RoadSpeed camera in Ringwood Road (Image: Daily Echo)

A Dorset Police spokeswoman said: “The speed camera in Three Legged Cross was damaged in an arson attack in August 2021.  

“Despite this, enforcement activity has continued to be carried out in the area with the deployment of safety camera vans and patrols by officers from the No Excuse road safety team. 

“We are continuing to engage with our partners to discuss the possibility of a replacement camera or alternative solution and this remains ongoing. 

“Until a decision has been made, we will continue to target motorists in Three Legged Cross who do not drive responsibly and within the speed limit.” 

Bournemouth Echo: Speed camera in Magna RoadSpeed camera in Magna Road (Image: Daily Echo)

The speed camera in Ringwood Road is not the first camera to be subject to an arson attack in Dorset. 

In November, the Daily Echo reported on a camera in Magna Road, Bournemouth, which was subjected to three separate arson attacks over two years. 

The camera, which was an old style wet film camera, has not been in use for more than 10 years and has remained covered and alongside the road ever since. 

Dorset Police decided not to replace the camera in Magna Road back in 2020 when the force digitalised a number of their cameras. 

Read more: Why this speed camera in Bournemouth has not worked for 10 years

Around £400,000 was spent on the upgrades, including 30 sites capable of facilitating the newer detection cameras, with 20 cameras rotated through those sites. 

The digital cameras are capable of covering up to four lanes of traffic and do not require secondary road markings – white lines – to function.  

It is not an average speed camera like those on A338 Spur Road from north of Blackwater to Cooper Dean. Instead the camera detects and digitally transmits traffic speed violations using a 4G signal.