Anger after East Sussex bird box 'speed camera' removed by highways department

Winchelsea Lodge, in Hastings Road, Winchelsea said two men from the agency came into the hotel’s restaurant and bar yesterday afternoon (Monday, November 20), demanding the structure be taken down.

The hotel added that the two men were they seen removing the bird box and pole alongside the road.

The four-star hotel said it put the bird box there and disguised it as a speed camera in a bid to deter speeding motorists along the stretch of road, saying the speeds some drivers were doing outside the hotel were ‘outrageous’.

A statement from Winchelsea Lodge said: “On Monday afternoon around 1.45pm we had National Highways come into our restaurant and bar and said they were taking down our bird box that is designed as a speed camera to slow down cars and motorbikes to save lives.

“The speed people drive round the bend of our location is outrageous and we have had multiple accidents outside our hotel.

“We placed the fake camera and bird box just on the bend and on our property to prevent such accidents happening on a regular occurrence, as this is a very dangerous bend that people shoot down.

“National Highways had no right to take our property down without any permission from the owner of the Winchelsea Lodge. As it being a fake camera, it is also for our wildlife we have around this area. We are appalled by what has happened.”

A National Highways spokesperson said: “Safety cameras and other structures that in place on our roads need to meet strict safety standards, and as such need to be constructed appropriately to ensure these standards are met and they do not pose a danger to passing motorists.

“Positioned in the wrong place, they risk distracting drivers and causing them to brake suddenly, or worse, causing a serious accident.”