BRIGHT yellow speed cameras designed to slow down motorists will not be a feature on Bolton's roads, according to police.

The new weapon to reduce accidents has been unveiled by transport minister John Spellar.

But Greater Manchester Police is not one of the 15 forces being asked to operate under the revised camera guidelines. So locations such as St Peter's Way, where a 50mph limit is enforced, will not get the new look cameras.

Speeding motorists will instead continue to be caught by the familiar grey, green and black boxes. GMP has not signed up to the controversial scheme, in which the money raised from speeding fines is used to buy more cameras.

A spokesman said: "The new legislation does not apply to GMP so we will not be painting our cameras yellow.

"If we decided to follow the lead of the 15 forces, then we would repaint them, but until that time they will remain as they are."

Mr Spellar said the aim of the yellow cameras was not to catch large numbers of motorists and collect more fines, but to reduce speed and accidents.

The 15 police forces in the scheme will place more cameras in areas where there are high risks of accidents. To avoid accusations of hiding cameras, the new guidelines say camera housings must be yellow to be easily identifiable.

The legislation also rules that no camera should be obscured by bridges, signs, trees or bushes and that camera warning and speed limit reminders must be placed within one kilometre of fixed and mobile camera sites.

Cameras must be visible from 60 metres away in 40mph or slower areas, and 100 metres for all other speed limits.

Mr Spellar said: "I hope there will not now be so many fines collected. We have had considerable success with speed cameras in a number of areas. Our objective is to reduce the accident rate."

The leeway for speeding motorists will be reduced, however, penalising people who drive a fraction over the limit.

Currently the police operate an informal scheme which allows people to go over the limit by roughly 10 per cent plus an extra two miles an hour, allowing, for example, 35mph in a 30mph zone.

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