A speed camera was demolished in an early morning crash.

The camera, in Herbert Avenue, Poole, was knocked over by a pick-up truck which ended up on its side.

The male driver of the vehicle was shaken but not seriously hurt.

No other vehicle was involved in the incident which happened at around 7.30am on Saturday.

Resident Nicky Way, who lives opposite said: “I heard a huge bang.

“We are used to loud noise from lorries along the road, but this was much louder than normal.”

“I expected to see a couple of cars in the accident. I was surprised when I saw it was only one.”

She added: “The emergency services were here really quickly, it seemed like just a minute or so.”

Another householder went out to see if he could help but a local doctor who was passing stopped to help.

Workers from Poole Highways removed the debris and the remains of the camera later in the morning.

Neighbour Dennis Maidment added: “It was quite a dramatic scene. Fortunately, the driver wasn’t badly hurt.

“I don’t think the camera was working. We haven’t seen it flash in quite a while.”

The number of fixed camera sites in Dorset has been reduced in the past 18 months due to budget cuts.

The Gatsos will gradually be replaced by more mobile cameras to allow for “greater flexibility in targeting areas with high collision rates,” according to Dorset Road Safe.

A review of the organisation’s operations came in the wake of cash-strapped local councils cutting their camera funding to the partnership.

More than 50,000 motorists were caught by speed cameras in Dorset every year at the peak of operations.