'Bring back our speed cameras' - crime commissioner's plea to save lives on West Midlands roads

Mr Jamieson said he was desperate to reduce deaths on the region's roads and that rolling out speed cameras was crucial in helping to achieve that aim.

Speed cameras in the Black Country have been switched off since 2013 as they were judged to be too costly to run.

But Mr Jamieson said it meant too many drivers were getting away with speeding on the region's major routes.

Wolverhampton and Walsall councils have previously said they are considering bringing back cameras, though locations have yet to be identified.

Dudley Council has revealed plans to put cameras on the Birmingham New Road.

Any new speed cameras would have to be funded by local authorities at a time when all four Black Country councils are having to make huge savings.

But Mr Jamieson suggested the new mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority could be given powers to act if council bosses were reluctant.

Improving road safety has been identified as one of the key priorities in Mr Jamieson's new police and crime plan, which sets out a series of targets he wants to achieve by 2020.

New average speed cameras were switched on in Birmingham and Solihull in August and the Police and Crime Commissioner said he was keen for the Black Country councils to follow suit.

Mr Jamieson said: "I am pressing them to take action where appropriate. It may be an area where the mayor can take a view. Major roads may be a management function the mayor will have.

"The mayor could respond to public demand for measures to be taken."

He added: "The issue always comes back to speeding, inappropriate driving, people using mobile phones. Speeding over and over again comes back up.

"Birmingham and Solihull have come forward by reacting to pressure from the public."

A total of 973 people were killed or seriously injured in the West Midlands in 2015, up from 950 the previous year.