STRICT checks are made by engineers and police officers before speed cameras start operating at the Solstice Park road works site on the A303, a police officer confirmed this week.

Because of the size of the project and its proximity to the fast A303 trunk road, a site safety officer is responsible for ensuring that, before any lane restrictions are brought in, or temporary speed limits imposed, the necessary signs and cones are in place.

Sergeant Nick Blencowe, of Wiltshire police's central road safety unit, said it was standard procedure that, before a speed camera began operating, a police officer would drive along the stretch of road and through the road works, to ensure that the speed restriction signs and cones were in place, according to Health and Safety Executive legislation.

Sgt Blencowe said that, in the case of the Solstice Park works, the signs began at the Countess roundabout on the eastbound lane and at Beacon Hill on the westbound lane. He explained that Health and Safety rules meant that, when contractors are working on the road side, or near the road at any time, the near side lane to them has to be coned off, forcing traffic to use one lane.

At the same time, a speed limit of 40mph must be enforced.

Sgt Blencowe said this might have confused some drivers, who could have driven through the site to find no restrictions in place and then returned a short while later to find restrictions were in force.

He said: "When work on the site involves contractors working near the road, the lane and speed restrictions have to be brought in and, before they are introduced, the checks have to be made by the site safety officer and the police camera unit.

"The positions of all the signs and cones have to be logged.

"These logs can be checked at any time and have to be maintained."

He said the 40mph restriction would not have been imposed if there were no lane closures, that is, if both lanes on both the eastbound and westbound were open.

Sgt Blencowe said: "At Solstice Park on the eastbound lane, there are at least four speed restriction and repeater signs between Countess roundabout and the Solstice Park bridge, where the speed camera is situated.

"On the westbound carriageway, the speed warning signs and repeaters begin just as drivers start to drop down from the top of Beacon Hill.

"In addition there are, on both the eastbound and westbound carriageways, permanent speed camera warning signs."

Sgt Blencowe said that, because of the accident record of that stretch of the A303, speed cameras had been operating regularly between Solstice Park and Countess roundabout.

He said speed cameras were operating before the road works began and they would continue after the work has finished.