NEW speed camera vans have taken to the roads of Greater Manchester.

The new vans, with a brightly-coloured livery, replace unmarked vehicles that have been carrying out roadside checks on speeding drivers in the county from Thursday.

Each of the 10 vans have yellow and orange markings and carry the speed camera emblem which appears on roadside signs.

Safety groups say the vans will be easy for motorists to see and will help to cut speed on the region's most dangerous roads.

The location of temporary speed traps will also be made public on the website of Drivesafe, formerly known as the Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership.

Mike Downes, project manager for Drivesafe, said: "We are not, and have never been, trying to catch the motorists out and the new look of our vehicles highlights our desire to be clearly visible.

"By publicising on our website where we are enforcing speed limits, and by clearly marking our new vans, we feel we are giving each motorist fair warning.

"We are delighted with the finished look of the vans. The bright colours and clear signage means that the vehicles are eye-catching and easy to spot."

New Department of Transport guidelines mean that all vans carrying out roadside speed checks must be easy to identify.

The location of each speed camera site and the locations of red-light cameras can be found on the website www.drivesafe.org.uk