DRIVERS have been told a new camera in a Worcester road is not a speed camera after signs caused confusion.

The camera on a lamppost in Hylton Road, St John's, opposite the former Crown and Anchor pub, is a temporary traffic data collection camera. A speed camera sign on the same lamppost, which should have been removed when the camera was taken away, caused confusion.

Some residents suspected it was a new, 'sneaky' speed camera. A speed camera was removed from Hylton Road in March. It been there since 2004. The road was deemed safe enough to no longer need a camera.

As previously reported the camera was removed using a hoist and loaded into a van and taken away but the signs remained.

Both Worcestershire County Council and the Safer Roads Partnership have confirmed it is not a speed camera.

Jon Fraser, the county council's spokesperson for Highways, said it was a Department for Transport camera, one of 200 similar temporary cameras across Worcestershire.

He said: "It's not a speed camera, We understand the confusion regarding the speed camera signs which related to the previous speed camera and will arrange for those signs to be removed shortly."

The new cameras, which Mr Fraser said had only been installed very recently, monitor the volume of traffic.

The old speed camera in Hylton Road was removed because the road was deemed safe enough not to need it.

Between its installation in 2004 and June 2013, the camera resulted in 2,230 conditional offers - where drivers can accept a fixed penalty and avoid appearing in court - being issued and raised £133,800 in penalty fines.

However, the signs showing the speed camera symbol remained.