Dorset speed camera set on fire in A35 protest village
A speed camera has been set alight on a main road through a west Dorset village at the centre of a row over heavy traffic congestion.
Fire crews were called to the A35 in Chideock, near Bridport, in the early hours after several calls from drivers.
A tyre had been put over the speed camera and set alight.
Several villagers have held protests over the amount of vehicles on the road, and were recently given hand-held speed cameras to monitor traffic.
The move followed meetings with police and the Highways Agency in July.
The villagers have since suspended their protests, which involved repeatedly activating a pelican crossing on the road to hold up traffic.
They want a bypass to be built so heavy lorries can be diverted.
Last week police defended giving the villagers hand-held devices, saying the initiative was not a replacement for fixed speed cameras.
The A35 is the main coastal road between Bournemouth and Exeter and passes through several villages.