ANGRY motorists are claiming they have been illegally snapped by a speed camera positioned on a bridge over the A303 at Solstice Park, Amesbury, where major building work is under way for a new business park and road bridge.

They say there were no speed restriction signs in place as they drove along the A303 at Solstice Park during December, January and early February.

The drivers say that, with no warning signs visible, they had no idea they were supposed to be obeying a temporary 40mph speed limit.

Some of the drivers are preparing to challenge their summonses through the courts, saying the summonses are illegal.

Others have paid a fixed penalty ticket for speeding but say they are deeply unhappy because there was nothing to tell them there was a 40mph speed limit in force.

One of the drivers prepared to challenge her speeding summons is Claire Allison, who lives in Amesbury and works in London.

She drives up and down the A303 regularly and in December saw a police officer with a speed camera on the verge side protected by a line of cones.

Claire said the cones restricted one lane for a short distance but there were no speed warning signs visible.

A few weeks later, she received a summons which said she had been checked by a speed camera positioned on the bridge over the A303 at Solstice Park.

She told the Journal: "I do not know whether the summons came from the police officer or because of the bridge camera.

"All I know is that, at that time, there were no speed signs that I saw.

"Since then, I have taken dozens of photographs of the stretch of the A303 between Countess Roundabout and Solstice Park.

"They show signs warning of workmen ahead and one photo shows a small sign about two feet high on the verge with '40' written on it,

"I saw no - what I would call - legal signs."

Teacher Kate Robinson, who lives in Bulford, was booked during December and she said she could not recall seeing any warning signs or cones.

She said: "The trouble is that sometimes there are cones and signs warning of a 40mph restriction with workmen working, at other times there are no signs, cones or men working, so drivers believe there are no speed restrictions."

A Bulford soldier, who asked not to be named, has paid two fixed penalty tickets after being booked twice for exceeding a temporary 40mph speed limit in mid-January.

He said he saw a sign warning of speed cameras in operation but no speed warning signs were visible on either January 14 or January 20.

A Shrewton woman booked in December told the Journal there were no speed restriction signs although she saw a sign warning that speed cameras were in operation. She said she saw nothing to indicate to her there was a 40mph restriction in force.