FIGURES showing the number of drivers caught by speed cameras in Cross Hills, Glusburn and Cowling will not be released until next year.

The police have been using the mobile camera sites for a number of months to monitor the speed of drivers passing through the three villages.

But they say they will have to wait for 12 months before publishing figures which they can use to compare with previous years.

Each speed camera site cost around £3,500 to install and they were put in as part of an effort to reduce accidents.

Sgt Tom Smart, of the Skipton Police traffic department, said it would be too early to assess the effectiveness of the cameras.

"There were some teething problems at first because the sensors weren't working properly, but now we're learning how best to use them," he told the Herald.

"Over the next few months we hope to catch more and more offenders and release statistics next year which we will be able to compare with previous years in terms of the number of accidents."

The people of Cross Hills and Glusburn voted for speed cameras rather than road humps, as part of a massive consultation exercise by highways chiefs at North Yorkshire County Council.

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