Swindon has become the first town in the UK to do away with fixed speed cameras.

The Tory-run council's cabinet voted unanimously in favour of withdrawing from the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership.

The idea of pulling out of the scheme was first suggested 12 months ago by Peter Greenhalgh, the town's councillor for highways.

Mr Greenhalgh objected to central Government receiving cash from fines while Swindon Council had to pay for the upkeep of the cameras.

He also said that 70 people had been killed on the streets of Swindon in 2007/08 and that this was proof that fixed-point speed cameras were not working to curb motorists' excessive speed.

The demise of fixed-point speed traps in the town does not mean motorists cannot be caught, as police will still be out and about with hand-held speed-measuring devices, he said.

Mr Greenhalgh added: "We will be working very closely with our partners, including police in the road safety partnership to deliver a plan that reduced the number of people being killed on the roads in Swindon."

Neil Greig, director of research and policy at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "This move smacks of tokenism and may fuel public cynicism that the priority is saving cash rather than saving lives. To describe revenue from safety cameras as a 'tax' is emotive, but not true.

"Properly placed fixed safety cameras are just one road safety tool, not a substitute for active road policing or long-term engineering improvements."

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