View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
April 21, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 3:05pm

Reporter pulls a fast one on speed camera plans

By Press Gazette

By Dominic Ponsford

Road safety officials were caught out when the East Anglia Daily
Times used freedom of information powers to investigate plans for the
first speed cameras in Essex on a dual carriageway.

Reporter Ted Jeory broke the story last month that Essex Safety
Camera Partnership was planning to place cameras on a 70mph section of
the A12.

Camera bosses told Jeory the move was justified because
there had been sufficient accidents on the stretch of road in a
three-year period.

When Jeory asked them for the cause of the accidents, he said he was told they were all “speed-related”.

He added: “As all road accidents involve some form of speed/motion, this seemed a little suspicious.”

He
used the FOI Act to obtain official accident reports for the five
incidents involved and discovered not one of them involved excessive
speed. One case involved drugs, another reversing and in a third, a
pedestrian was hit by a car’s wing mirror.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Jeory said: “The
revelations have fuelled suspicions that these cameras are just
money-raisers. I’ve had emails from all over the UK as well as from
[Tory MP] Tim Yeo trying to make it an election issue.”

The story
made a front page story for the EADT and was followed up with a page
lead in The Daily Telegraph. Jeory, 35, has been at the EADT for two
years, having previously worked as an accountant in the City for nine
years.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network