WESTMORLAND and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins has urged Cumbria police to show restraint in introducing new speed traps after Britain's biggest police force began decommissioning many of its cameras.

The Metropolitan police said it would remove or disable speed cameras not sited near accident black-spots.

Mr Collins said: "Speed cameras can and do make major contributions to road safety when they are properly used when they are well signposted, when they are placed near real accident black-spots."

But Mr Collins said that the huge increase in speed cameras on Britain's roads had coincided with an end to a long period of year-on-year reductions in the number of road deaths because they were replacing policemen in patrol cars.

"Cameras are no substitute for experienced traffic policemen on the county's roads," he said. "Cumbria needs to learn the hard-learned lessons of the use and misuse of speed cameras elsewhere."

But Kevin Tea, spokesman for Cumbria's Casualty Reduction Partnership, said: "We can reassure Mr Collins that safety cameras in the county are deployed appropriately. All our existing and proposed safety camera sites are located at approved accident hotspots that satisfy strict criteria laid down by the Department for Transport.

"Mr Collins and all local MPs have an open invitation to discuss any issues of concern with us."