West Midlands villagers install fake knitted traffic police with speed cameras to catch out dangerous drivers

Villagers sick of fast drivers have knitted fake speed cameras to catch out dangerous motorists.

Locals in Fillongley, Warwickshire, have even knitted hi-vis jackets and dressed life-sized RAF mannequins as traffic cops in a crafty bid to fool reckless drivers.

Members of the Fillongley Knit and Natter group created the realistic cameras and mannequins after a spate of crashes along the village's main junction.

The group's latest recruit is a knitted RAF airman stationed beneath a 30mph sign, complete with a mock speed gun aimed at oncoming traffic. And locals reckon the sign is working with many drivers falling for the mock speed cameras.

Heather Badham, 58, is a member of the Knit and Natter group and said the knitted creations have been catching out drivers all week.

Heather, a parish councillor for Fillongley, said: “I helped with one of the children sitting on the bench, but I have to say I am the world's worst knitter.

“We started the group for the Queen’s last jubilee and the ladies didn’t want to stop. We’ve done lots of stuff in the past, including a giant poppy cascade coming down the church. We reuse what we’ve made in different scenarios, so we recycle what we’ve got.

"We’ve knitted hi-vis jackets, and speed cameras and put the zebras on the crossing. We've got some tortoises to say slow and children on benches with signs to say kill your speed. It has had a massive impact.

“90% of the accidents are caused by people coming down the Nuneaton road, not seeing the signs and then hitting someone. Since putting these up, we’ve been chuckling as people could see the man and thought he was real - you could see the brake lights going off.

“We’ve got two with speed cameras, the one that was stolen and then another on a no entry sign. It’s just to make a point and make people realise what we’re doing.

“I think it’s in your peripheral, they don’t take notice of the flashing 30 sign and go too fast, but they see the camera. It probably did surprise a lot of people as we don’t have cameras there."

The cameras were installed around the village on October 13 after four months of preparation. The ingenious creations have spooked drivers so much so that one of the 'traffic cops' has been stolen just two days after it was introduced.

Heather added: “We’re hoping someone will bring it back, it means a lot to one of our members.

“The person in the blue uniform is an RAF officer, done by Deb in memory of her dad. We have recycled four or five people that were used for D-Day celebrations, so he means a lot to her. It was for Deb’s dad and she’s gutted."

A second RAF airman-turned-traffic cop is posted on the other side of the village, equipped with another speed camera gun. Elsewhere knitted zebras line a key crossing in the town while a woolly tortoise encourages drivers to slow down.

The campaign even includes knitted children holding up a sign saying "Kill your speed, not our children".

It comes after official figures that there's been 11 accidents in four years along the Nuneaton Road junction - just metres away from a primary school.

Ecologist Tom Docker has lived in the village for a year and says the knitted creations have worked in deterring speeding motorists.

The 42-year-old said: “I think it’s a really good initiative. It speaks to the creativity of the local community, it’s really good that they’ve turned their attention to problems in the village. Speeding is an issue and we’ve had quite a lot of accidents here in recent years.

“We have a primary school just off the junction and there isn't a crossing point for them, and that lack of crossing is going to end in tears one day I think. There’s been a lot of talk of putting in a traffic light system near the junction. My worry is it could cause drivers to speed through the side roads.

“Anything like this is brilliant as it slows drivers. I certainly did a double take when I saw the one with the camera, I couldn’t believe it. They’re very effective, well-made and get people talking. I really like the fact that it’s local people doing this.”

Former lollipop lady Lorna Rosser says the village is in need of some permanent speed cameras and praised the local initiative.

The 66-year-old said: “You certainly notice them, you need something here. I’ve done all the major roads here and it gets bad. And it is dangerous with the speeding I can’t believe there isn’t a 20mph zone enforced with cameras.

“The problem here is with the bends and people coming around them at high speeds. I couldn’t believe it when we moved here, there’s no lollipop lady. I’m surprised no-one does it.

“They do this a lot here with the knitted things, and this latest campaign is just as good. It stays in your memory, you won’t forget them and they’re very visible, I really like these new ‘traffic officers’.”