Speeding cameras lose focus
filming will instead.
Tom Norton from filmmakers North One TV, said: “Following meetings with the local council and the emergency services, we have come to the difficult decision that it will not be possible to bring Guy’s tank to Lincoln city centre as part of our upcoming Channel 4 programme.
“Lincoln was Guy’s number one choice and much effort was put in on both sides trying to bring the tank to his home county but ultimately public safety has to be our number one priority.
“After meeting with the police it was decided that the proposed location was simply too challenging to guarantee that the activity wouldn’t put members of the public at risk.
“We hope that at some point the tank will be able to make a visit to Lincoln take place in France Genuine First World War Mark IV tank in Ashford Kent and inset, TV presenter Guy Martin and we are committed to working with Guy to produce a fantastic show that celebrates Lincoln and the hugely important role it played in the history of the tank.”
In September the motorcycle racer and television daredevil was spotted in Lincoln carrying a piece of rope down the High Street to see if a replica of the Mark IV tank would fit.
Martin, who lives in Lincolnshire, also went to the city’s White Hart Hotel where William Tritton, managing director of William Foster and Co Limited, and naval officer Walter Wilson brainstormed and scrawled their ideas for a tank onto the back of cigarette packets.
Their work led to the development of the world’s first ever battle tank, which was built in Lincoln.
They were first used successfully in battle at Cambrai in November 1917.
The decision to axe the tank parade provoked a huge response on social media with local residents describing it as “utterly ridiculous”.
Dave Corby blasted: “How can the council celebrate Lincoln as home of the tank then refuse something that involves the tank?” Josh Whiteley said: “Quite ironic how the ‘Home of the tank’ can’t have a tank parade through the city centre.”
Lincoln’s safety advisory group, which decided the plan could not proceed, is made up of representatives from the council, police, ambulance and fire service and highways officials.
Simon Colburn of City of Lincoln Council said it proposed changes to the tank driving plan but that North One TV decided not to proceed. ALMOST half of the UK’s fixed speed cameras are switched off, according to data.
Figures released by 36 of the nation’s 45 police forces found that four have no speed cameras at all.
A Freedom of Information request asked how many fixed speed cameras each force had and how many are active.
Those who released data had a total of 2,838 cameras, of which 1,486 (52 per cent) were active. The other nine forces refused to disclose the information or failed to respond.
Forces with a quarter or less that are active are West Yorkshire, Kent, South Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
Jason Wakeford, of road safety charity Brake, said: “Speed cameras are a proven, cost-effective way of reducing deadly collisions. It’s critical they are operational.”
The AA said budget pressures were to blame.