Vandalised Gatsos

Damaged Gatsos are now appearing thick and fast. This is inevitable since most of them are sited to extract the most revenue. The picture below shows such an example. This one is on the A40 near Cheltenham, known locally as 'Gatso Alley', maybe 'Gatso Graveyard' would be more appropriate. All the Gatsos on this road are in 60mph limits even though this road is good for 70+ for much of its length. Three Gatsos eastbound have been vandalised. This one has come off the worst, the other two are leaning at 45 degree angles. It's a bit of a co-incidence that three cameras in a row are damaged, maybe someone got caught by them and decided to get revenge.

One down, six million to go

Looking the other way. This Gatso couldn't have been demolished by accident because it fell the wrong way. Either someone reversed into it (on purpose) or deliberately drove on the wrong side of the road.

Vandalism against Gatsos is increasing

There is a sticker on Gatsos saying 'This installation is alarmed to central control', but the pigs couldn't save this one. I wonder if there really is an alarm fitted to them. It would take ages to reach the ones in the middle of nowhere.

Vandalised Gatso, minus the camera

This Gatso on the A1 in Scotland has also been knocked down. Most cameras have armco barriers around them to stop them being driven into, it doesn't seem to work. Being placed in the middle of an overtaking straight makes it a prime target for 'removal'. With the camera out of action drivers can now overtake in peace.

Another demolished Gatso

This close up of the camera housing shows it was painted bright.

Gatsos are falling thick and fast

This Gatso on the M11 is reported to be the most profitable in Britain. That was until someone decided to put it out of action.

Wrecked Gatso

This Gatso on the A3 near Kingston appears to have been driven into.

Damaged Gatso

This Gatso in South Wales was allegedly struck by a passing lorry. Its hard to say whether it was damaged by accident or on purpose, its just a shame it didn't happen to a revenue placed camera such as those on fast dual carriageways.

Damaged Gatso in South Wales

This is a side view of the same camera and shows that is was twisted as well as damaged. Drivers have nothing to worry as the camera is pointing away from the road but the occupiers of the house should definitely be worried as this camera is still emitting radar.

Would you live in a house which is being continually blasted with radar?

Another Gatso which is pointing away from the road. This one near Huddersfield was thought to have been struck by a JCB.

This Gatso got off lightly

The same Gatso a few months later and its now pointing towards the road. The vandals have been back and painted obscene language on it. They have also painted over the flash.

Someone has taken a dislike to this camera

This Gatso in Preston has only just been installed and has already been twisted.

Twisted Gatso

These two revenue generators near Preston have had the camera part removed, and for a very good reason too. They are situated on a dual carriageway with an underposted 50mph limit. They have been like this for some time and no attempt has been made to repair them.

Pair of hat stands near Preston

Another cameraless Gatso. I witnessed several drivers braking as I took this picture.

Another Gatso with a stolen camera housing

Yet another beheaded Gatso. I wonder what happens to all the cameras?

Beheaded Gatso

This Gatso on the A505 has also had the camera housing removed. A yellow bag has been placed over it to guard against shock.

Beheaded Gatso

The camera housing has been sawn off this Gatso on the A46. By looking at the straightness of the road in the distance its easy to see why someone wanted to disable this camera. Its located just before a crossroads where vehicles are pulling out in front of fast moving traffic. The cause of these accidents lies with drivers who fail to judge the speed of others rather than those who are speeding.

Sawn off Gatso

This beheaded Gatso on the A16 has been painted with the words THIEVES MOTORIST REVENGE.

An angry motorist has taken revenge on this Gatso

This Gatso on the A15 is the latest in a series of beheaded Gatsos in Lincolnshire.

Beheaded Gatso

This Truvelo in Northamptonshire has had the camera housing sawn off. Fitting armco barriers doesn't stop the vandals, it just means it can't be driven in to.

This camera won't be earning any stealth tax for a while

This Truvelo in Telford had a very short life. It was angle grinded about a month after it was installed.

Beheaded Truvelo

This is a closeup of the damage. Part of the wiring loom can be seen. All cameras have a police warning sticker but this fails to deter the vandals.

Beheaded Truvelo

Even if armco is fitted it doesn't stop the camera being driven in to, especially if it's too close to the barrier. This Truvelo on the A14 appears to have been twisted by a passing lorry due to the camera housing being directly above the armco, so any tall vehicles striking the barrier also strike the camera. Better move the camera further away from the barrier, or better still, remove it altogether.

Installing cameras close to the armco is asking for trouble

This is a close up of the camera housing. The damage is minimal but as its pointing the wrong way it won't be earning any revenue.

Damaged Truvelo

This red light camera in Exeter is on a level crossing to catch motorists who go over the railway when the lights are flashing. How this camera came to be in this condition is hard to understand especially as going across a level crossing through a red light can have fatal consequences if crushed by a train.

Vandalised red light Gatso

This Gatso near Peterborough has been set alight. Unfortunately, the only damage seems to be smoke. The road goes down a hill but the camera can't be seen due to clever positioning. Its a shame there isn't the same amount of thought going in to genuine road safety improvements. Drivers come down this hill, possibly overtaking, and will see this camera just as they go under the bridge, they then have seconds to slow down before passing it. What sort of road safety is this?

Fire damaged Gatso

This Gatso near Huddersfield has been set alight, one of three on the same road. The temperature must have been intense judging by the colour. I wonder if the electrics inside were fried.

Fire damaged Gatso

This is another burnt out Gatso in West Yorkshire. The damage is extensive: the glass has shattered in the windows, the metal has buckled on the roof and so have the sides of the window containing the flash. To top it all off there is a sticker saying Free Country.

Burnt out Gatso

This Gatso is on the A36 in Wiltshire at the top of a hill. Someone has put it out of action by torching it.

Another burnt out wreck of a Gatso

This Gatso near Manchester has been wrecked by fire which appears to have been started by using pieces of wood.

Another burnt out wreck of a Gatso

This is another burnt out Gatso. This one is on the A10 in Cambridgeshire.

Burnt out Gatso

This Gatso in Dudley was recently set alight. The strands of wire are from the tyre used to start the fire.

Another burnt out wreck of a Gatso

This Gatso is also in Dudley and was torched a few nights afterwards. It is believed the same person or people were responsible.

Another burnt out wreck of a Gatso

This is the same Gatso two months later. The fire damage has been repaired but someone has now covered it in paint. Both the windows are covered so its unlikely to take decent pictures.

Another temporarily disabled Gatso

This is the third Gatso in Dudley to be set alight in the space of a week. There is minimal damage to this one which suggests the attackers may have been disturbed.

Partially burnt Gatso

This burnt Gatso is on the A454 just outside Wolverhampton. It was attacked just weeks after those in nearby Dudley and the same people could have been responsible.

Another burnt Gatso

Several new Gatsos were installed at various locations around Runcorn. They were all given a nice green colour scheme with yellow stripes. Several months later two of these cameras were set alight. This is the one on the A56 at Preston Brook.

Burnt out Gatso

This is the rear view of the same camera which shows how the yellow stripes have melted.

Burnt out Gatso

This is the third Gatso to be set alight in Runcorn. It was attacked some time before this picture was taken and the post has had time to rust. Meanwhile the remaining cameras have had their stripy colour scheme changed to plain yellow in order to comply with the regulations on visibility. One of these can be seen in the distance, the post remains green.

Another burnt out Gatso

This burnt Gatso is on the A38 at Whitminster in Gloucestershire where the speed limit was recently cut from 50mph to just 40mph. Its not surprising that someone has decided to put it out of action.

Another wrecked Gatso

This Gatso is on the A303 near Ilminster. This is a five mile stretch of road without a single junction or side road. Such locations can only be used for revenue purposes and as a result, someone has decided to torch it. Unfortunately there isn't that much damage and the camera housing appears to be unaffected.

This Gatso has got away with minor damage

This is yet another burnt out Gatso. This one is on the A429 in Gloucestershire where the speed limit was recently cut to 50mph. The tyre which was used to start the fire can be seen below.

Another burnt out Gatso

This Gatso is also on the A429. This one has all sorts of damage. The left side of the post appears to have been forced open, the top of the camera housing has been crushed and so have the sides of the window containing the flash.

Another wrecked Gatso

This Gatso in Norfolk has been shot at with an air gun. The pellet holes can be clearly seen. The top window has also been shattered.

Gatsos are now being shot at

This Gatso is also in Norfolk as is only a few miles away from the one above. A sledgehammer was used in this attack.

Another wrecked Gatso

This is the third Gatso to be attacked in Norfolk. The method of destruction is different in each case. This time a tyre was used to start a fire.

Thanks to Chris for the picture

This is a close up showing the damage. This Gatso also happened to contain a working camera, one of only four in Norfolk which are moved around the 14 camera sites.

Thanks to Chris for the picture

The above camera was replaced shortly afterwards but within a month it was torched again. The damage isn't so severe this time.

This Gatso was set alight twice within a month

This Gatso in Staffordshire has been covered with a black bag in an attempt to block the lens. Take a look at the windows of some of those houses, perhaps someone wanted to do the same to the Gatso.

Another Gatso temporarily disabled

This is the front view of the same camera. Unfortunately the wrong window is covered. The top window is the lens and it will still take pictures, but only during the day as the flash is covered up.

Another Gatso temporarily disabled

Although this Gatso isn't physically damaged, graffiti is still vandalism. Someone has kindly written a message on this Gatso saying it isn't working. Even though it might be true, I don't trust messages like these. I would still advise you to stick to the limit when passing it.

Is this Gatso working?

Another graffiti artist has painted a face on the back of this Gatso.

Getting caught by a Gatso is nothing to smile about

Someone has attempted to block the lens of this Gatso by placing a glove in front of it. Unfortunately it seems to have slipped.

A rather unsuccessful attempt at blocking the lens

The lens of this Gatso in Dudley has been covered with a substance. The reason this Gatso was targeted could be because it is hidden behind a sign.

Blocked lens

Gatsos are not the only type of speed camera being targeted by angry motorists. This is one of several SPECS poles in Northampton which were plastered in stealth tax stickers.

Stealth tax stickers

Its not just the cameras that are being targeted, the signs are also being covered in stickers.

This is the A508 approaching the A14. A Truvelo has been here for a while now but the limit was recently cut from 60mph to 40mph. Although it has been vandalised in the past, the Truvelo was undamaged when these pictures were taken.

Stealth tax stickers are spreading

This is a close up of the last picture.

Stealth tax