A motorist has spoken of his disbelief at seeing a mobile camera monitoring speed on a road which is gridlocked due to resurfacing work.

Sid Javis, of Roosevelt Avenue, Canvey, thought his eyes were playing tricks on him as he crawled his way up Long Road, Canvey.

Focus of anger - Sid Javis thinks it is pointless that a mobile camera monitor should be placed where roadworks are causing gridlock at Long Road, Canvey Picture: LUAN MARSHALL

As, despite the fact Long Road is being resurfaced and is suffering from heavy congestion, a mobile safety camera had been placed on the roadside. The 58-year-old said: "I just couldn't believe my eyes - it was so stupid.

"What is the point of sticking a camera somewhere where it is actually impossible to break the speed limit?

"Let's face it, the only thing it could possibly catch is a low-flying pigeon.

"I'm a professional driver and sticking a camera there just strikes me as really ridiculous - the traffic's hardly moving, the road's all dug up because of resurfacing and people are trying to catch us breaking the speed limit - it's just crazy!"

A spokesman for Essex Police, however, defended the decision saying: "We identify areas, some time in advance, which have a lot of speed related accidents and make a decision to have a mobile safety camera there."

Published Friday, August 1, 2003