HAYDON Bridge’s notorious speed camera should be moved on to the village’s bypass in a bid to improve road safety.

That’s the call from parish councillor David Robson, who has raised fears over traffic “flying” past the staggered crossroads at the east end of the village.

In recent years, the two neighbouring junctions have been a cause for concern for Haydon Parish Council, with one leading into the village from the A69, and the other to Alston.

Coun. Robson said cars turning out of the village towards Newcastle are putting their safety at risk.

He explained: “When you’re coming out of the village and you’re turning east, you think the road is clear.

“But when you look to the west, you can only see so far because there’s a brow of a hill in the road.

“When you pull on to the road, in many cases, there is traffic right up behind you, and the traffic is flying across that bypass heading east.”

Coun. Robson said that now, with less traffic on the main road through the village, the speed camera just off the New Bridge could be better placed.

He added: “There’s no camera in it now anyway, and it’s surrounded by trees.

“If they move it on to the bypass, it would deter motorists from speeding down that hill from the west.

“If you can slow down the traffic there, it would make such a difference to road safety on the A69 at Haydon Bridge.”

Earlier this year, Highways England pledged to carry out a feasibility study of road safety on the A69.

It followed pressure for improvements by councillors in Haydon Bridge and Haltwhistle, and an ongoing campaign by Hexham’s MP Guy Opperman for the trunk road to be made dual carriageway between Hexham and Carlisle.

The existing speed camera at Haydon Bridge was installed in the 1990s, and was designed to slow traffic down travelling into the village on the A69.