Police say sorry to `speeding' driver

POLICE have said ``sorry" to a removal man wrongly accused of speeding in his three- tonne furniture wagon.

Keith Bellwood

Keith Bellwood, of Bellwood's Removals at Almondbury, was told a speed camera caught him driving at 55mph in a 30mph zone in Wakefield Road, Moldgreen, early last month.

But he and his son, Adrian, felt sure he was well under the limit.

It is now believed the camera's computer clocked the van's speed twice and added up the results.

And a person later checking the photos did not spot the error.

The Bellwoods have now learned that their appeal against the penalty has been successful.

They are asking whether other motorists obeying the limit were also wrongly snapped, but never questioned the £60 fine or three penalty points on their licences.

"I feel strongly that we are not the only people falsely accused of speeding," said Adrian.

"But I'm almost sure that we were the only ones who appealed against it."

He is also angry at the speed camera system. "It's just a money spinner. There's no reason for a camera to be there," he said.

He and his father are to give the £60 to charity.

A spokesman for the West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership, which runs the speed cameras, said it was only the second successful appeal he knew of in the county.

He added: "This kind of anomaly is extremely rare. It is brought about by a unique combination of factors. The odds of it happening are thousands to one against."

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