Pensioner, 67, is arrested by police after three cameras chopped down

A 67-year-old pensioner is being questioned on suspicion of chopping down three new infra-red pace cameras with an angle rider.

Greater Manchester Police stated the arrest follows claims that two individuals have been noticed chopping down a pace digicam on Warrington Road, Wigan.

The assault came about days after two different new Wigan VECTOR-SR security cameras have been felled – at Wigan Pier and the city’s Kitt Green suburb.

GMP Wigan West posted on social media: ‘On Saturday, January 6, officers on routine patrol positioned two males chopping down a brand new pace digicam with an angle grinder on Warrington Road, Wigan.

‘After a brief foot pursuit one male was detained. The 67-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of felony injury and has since been launched on bail.

CCTV confirmed a person showing to make use of an angle grinder to take away a pace digicam in Wigan

The footage confirmed sparks fly as the person made a decided effort to take down the digicam

‘There have been a sequence of pace cameras lower down throughout the district over the Christmas interval, so this is a superb outcome for our staff.’

Last November, it was revealed Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) had agreed a take care of Jenoptik UK to improve many cameras throughout the area to the VECTOR-SR which makes use of infra-red expertise.

The state-of-the-art expertise may also catch motorists dashing in each instructions on the identical time with out the necessity for street markings – utilizing infra-red means there is no such thing as a flash, so drivers are unaware on the time they’ve been caught.

Anyone with info on any of the assaults is requested to ring police on 101 or the freephone Crimestoppers line anonymously on 0800 555111.

In November dashing drivers throughout Greater Manchester have been warned to beware they’re now extra more likely to be caught after the area signed a take care of Jenoptik for greater than 100 of their new VECTOR-SR cameras.

Funded by the Mayor’s Challenge Fund (MCF) to enhance street security and assist Greater Manchester’s dedication to Vision Zero, they goal to eradicate all street fatalities and severe accidents.

Unlike older model cameras, the brand new ‘extremely’ pace cameras don’t require painted traces on the street. They additionally use infra-red low-light expertise, which means they are going to not ‘flash’ at dashing drivers.

Motorists are being urged to look out for them as, in contrast to conventional cameras which solely seize autos within the left-hand lane, they seize two-way visitors.

At the time Superintendent Gareth Parkin of Greater Manchester Police’s Safer Transport Team stated: ‘The new and upgraded pace cameras throughout the city-region will be certain that drivers adhere to street speeds and don’t have interaction in reckless or anti-social driving.

‘Speed limits are put in place to make sure our roads are secure. Excessive speeds enhance the probabilities of driver error, enhance the time it takes for a car to cease and may also enhance fatalities within the occasion of a collision.

‘Nationally there have been 1,711 fatalities final yr and almost 19,000 since 2012, which is extra hurt than knife crime. Regionally 73 per cent of collisions contain human error, particular person accountability is essential if we’re going to make a distinction therefore our method concentrating on dashing drivers.

‘I want to thank the Mayor’s Office and Safer Roads Greater Manchester for persevering with to work with GMP to assist deal with these points.

‘GMP won’t enable the protection of our roads to be compromised by harmful drivers, and applicable motion will all the time be taken in opposition to offenders.’

Peter Boulton, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Head of Highways, added: ‘Any dying or severe harm on our roads is one too many, and dashing is the main reason for deadly street accidents which have a devastating impression on individuals’s lives.

‘By investing in these security cameras, we’re underlining our dedication to Vision Zero, our ambition to cut back and eradicate deaths and severe accidents on our roads, subsequently making Greater Manchester a safer place for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists.

‘However schooling is simply as necessary as enforcement in the case of tackling dashing, and I’d strongly advise drivers to think about their behaviour when on the street to maintain themselves and others secure.’