Speed cameras to be turned back ON in Oxfordshire due to rise in motoring offences

One of the first counties in Britain to switch off its speed cameras is to turn them back on again – after speeding offences soared.

Oxfordshire deactivated its 72 cameras and 89 mobile units on August 1.

The move came after Oxfordshire County Council withdrew its funding to Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, which co-ordinates speed enforcement.

Shortly afterwards the Partnership claimed the number of drivers speeding past the deactivated cameras had increased by up to 88 per cent.

The switch-off brought a storm of protest from road safety groups and residents who warned it would lead to an increase in accidents.

But on Tuesday it was revealed that the police and council were nearing a deal to turn all the cameras back on.

A county council spokesman said: “We’ve been in discussion with our partners at Thames Valley Police and we’re close to an agreement to have the cameras switched back on in the future.

“We look forward to being able to reveal the detail of that agreement in future weeks.”  The county had withdrawn £600,000 in funding to the Safer Roads Partnership – an organisation of the police and local roads authorities – because of Government cuts.

Oxfordshire switched off its cameras shortly after Swindon announced it was switching off its cameras from July 31.