Council orders grandad to tear down £40 FAKE speed camera from outside his home
The realistic-looking cameras were used by Mike Lacey, 72, to deter drivers from speeding on the A1
A GRANDAD has been ordered to tear down a fake £40 speed camera he built outside his house.
Mike Lacey, 72, made the realistic-looking yellow dummy from drainage pipes after road chiefs covered a camera yards from his house, on the A1.
Council chiefs have now ordered him to dismantle it because he does not have planning permission.
Highways England also claim the mock-up could be distracting to drivers on the stretch in Beeston, Beds.
But retired engineer Mike has refused, saying traffic on the road is speeding out of control.
He recently clocked a car at 90mph in the 50mph limit with a radar gun he bought online.
Grandad-of-six Mike said: “I will take it down as soon as I get some form of speed control reinstated on the A1.
“Until that time they can forget, I told them they are going to have to prosecute me.
“The camera is totally contained within the boundary property, it is not hanging over the highway or nothing.”
Mike, who lives with wife Brenda, added: “I can tell you for a fact my camera is absolutely effective, the people who know it is there do actually cut their speed.
“Until this year there was a speed camera in the village on the northbound carriageway and it is so old.
“It broke down and they couldn’t get it repaired so in their ultimate wisdom they decided to take it out of commission.
“But not only did they take it out commission they covered it up as well.
“If they left it alone it would have still been a speeding deterrent.”
Experts say Mr Lacey’s desperate actions highlight the failings on our roads.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “This sounds like a heartfelt cry for help.
"If people are prepared to go to these extraordinary lengths it suggests there is a problem that needs fixing.
“The camera debate often hinges on whether the devices are more about raising money than saving lives.
"But this is a reminder that for road-side residents the risk posed by speeding traffic feels very real and warrants more than the occasional police patrol.”
A spokesman for Highways England said: “The speed camera on the northbound A1 is not in operation at the moment, so has been covered over.”
He added: “While we acknowledge Mr Lacey’s commitment to safety and his ingenuity, we cannot support the use of dummy cameras like this and have raised the issue with the council.”
A Bedfordshire Police spokeswoman said: “Highways England has responsibility for the A1, and is planning a road improvement scheme along this stretch.
“As part of the scheme they will be installing an average speed camera scheme. We have been given no timeline for this work currently.
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