CHORLEY has been targeted as part of a countywide crackdown on speeding motorists which will see 50 new traffic cameras installed at key accident blackspots in Lancashire.

The sites for the new cameras, including one in Chorley, were announced yesterday (Wednesday, November 21) at the official launch of the Lancashire Road Safety Project, a partnership between police, local councils, the Highways Agency and health authorities, which aims to prevent 1,380 deaths and injuries by 2005.

Among the 50 new cameras will be one on the B5251 Moor Road, Chorley, which will supplement the eight already operating in and around the town.

Lancashire Road Safety Project communications manager Linda Sanderson said: "Last year in Lancashire more than 9,000 people were injured in road crashes. This figure is totally unacceptable. Each individual casualty causes personal grief and community loss.

"Public research carried out has shown that the overwhelming majority of people support the use of traffic cameras as a means of reducing the number of accidents.

"As well as the human trauma there is economic cost - road casualties in Lancashire cost a staggering £370million per year."

Money from speeding fines will be ploughed back into the purchase of more cameras for danger spots.

Road safety Minister David Jamieson said: "I am delighted to see that Lancashire has joined the netting off scheme for camera fine re-investment.

"They are the first county in the North West to do this. It will mean that roads in the county which have a history of accidents will benefit from greater use of safety cameras which will help to save many lives."

The new cameras will be up and running by April 2002, bringing the number in the county to 119 with a another 100 to be rolled out over the next 12 months.

The launch of the scheme was held at Lancashire Police Headquarters, Hutton, and was attended by Lancashire chief constable Pauline Clare, representatives of the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, Neil Cunliffe, principal road safety officer for Lancashire County Council, and John Ashton, regional director for public health.