Rat-run village near St Austell sees fake speed camera spring up to combat speeding

A fake speed camera has appeared in a tiny rat-run village on the outskirts of St Austell.

The ominous structure has got motorists talking after it appeared on the busy route that connects St Austell to the clay villages and the A30.

Located on the A3058 in Trewoon, it turns out the object is not a speed camera but a DIY device complete with an impressively detailed knitted cover.

It has been carefully designed to look like a traffic enforcement camera in an attempt to slow motorists down. It comes as residents have been campaigning for the installation of speed cameras for years.

It is not clear who is responsible for the structure or exactly how long it has been there, but it is certainly pulling the wool over commuters' eyes.

The road is a busy route as a primary connection between St Austell and the A30 until the link road is completed so hundreds will have seen it in recent days.

Two years ago a petition signed by more than 300 people was calling for average speed cameras for Trewoon. It said: "Many people in Trewoon have significant concerns about the safety of the community and road users using the A3058. The A3058 is a busy road providing a link between St Austell and Newquay.

"The speed limit through Trewoon is 30mph, however, many road users exceed the speed limit. The village currently has three vehicle-activated speed signs which fail to deter road users from speeding.

"As the DfT guidance suggests, speed cameras are located where speeding accidents have occurred and other safety measures have been considered; this is clearly the case in Trewoon. Residents have previously raised concerns about the motorist's speed through Trewoon, to have little change introduced as a result.

"There is a growing concern amongst residents, as well as an increasing number of examples of incidents that have occurred resulting from dangerous driving through Trewoon. Examples include damage to property, death/injury to pets, and multiple near-miss incidents."

There are still plans for cameras to be put in place in the village. The proposal had arisen following the concerns of local stakeholders over the speed of traffic through the 30mph limit in the village and the impact it is having on the local community.

Cormac launched a consultation on behalf of Cornwall Council in July of this year and invited people to comment on a proposal to install three average speed cameras through the village after years of campaigning.

The consultation is now closed. It is not yet known when or if work will begin on installation.