Lancashire police boss responds over ex-officer’s road safety fears
Ex-Lancashire road policing officer Paul Brooks said motorways are not policed properly because of police force financial pressures. And he said Highways Agency officers represent 'policing on the cheap' with few real powers. Many speeding drivers simply ignore them, he believes.
His comments came amid concerns by three East Lancs authorities - Hyndburn, Burnley and Pendle - over safety on the M65. County police commissioner Clive Grunshaw said in reply: "Lancashire Constabulary has a road policing unit, which is dedicated to patrolling the county's roads and dealing with offences such as speeding and drink or drug-driving, as well as attending scenes of serious and fatal collisions. "Additionally, the force regularly carries out numerous proactive operations targeting those on our roads that put the public at risk.
"Dangerous driving comes up time and time again as a huge concern for our communities, and it is a priority to make our roads even safer for the majority of law-abiding motorists. "I will continue to work together with the road safety partnership and hold the Chief Constable to account to ensure that road policing, from our motorways to our rural areas, is working to keep people safe." Mr Brooks, from Bamber Bridge, had claimed today's motorways are not policed properly because of police force financial pressures.
He also believed the loss of lighting on the M65, 'inadequate drainage' and its mix of two and three-lane sections were concerns too.
Mr Brooks spoke after Pendle councillor Mick Strickland, who works for Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service and has attended M65 traffic accidents, helped gain support for a motion calling for no more lights to be removed from the M65 and investment to bring lighting back where it has been removed.
Pendle Council is to contact National Highways, Lancashire County Council, the Secretary of State for Transport and local MPs about the issues.