HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds is being spent by police to upgrade cameras that catch red-light offenses in Dorset.
New cameras have recently been spotted in Waterloo Road at the junction with Cabot Lane and Hatch Pond Road, Poole, and in Castle Lane East at the junction with Chaseside and Deansleigh Road, Bournemouth.
These are two of five sites currently being upgraded following the purchase of new red-light cameras.
Dorset Police said these new cameras are digital and replace wet film models.
The force said there is an option to upgrade ten more sites, allowing the five cameras to be rotated across various sites.
The overall cost of this investment has been confirmed as approximately £300,000.
Police said the new cameras capture red light offenses but can monitor speed if required.
At present they are being tested ready for red-light enforcement, but may also be used for speed enforcement in the future if police detect numbers of vehicles exceeding the limit.
A Dorset Police spokesperson said: “Fixed speed cameras and traffic light enforcement cameras are two of the methods Dorset Police and partners use to help keep our roads safe.
"They are situated in key locations that have experienced collisions in the past or have been identified as areas of concern, often by local communities, for speeding and road safety issues.
“Driving at excess speed and going through a red light are major risk factors for causing collisions and it is clear that the higher the speed of vehicles involved in a collision, the more serious the consequences are likely to be.
"Enforcement cameras can have an important role to play in encouraging people to drive at appropriate speeds on our county’s roads.
“The traffic light enforcement cameras are being upgraded to ensure that we are using the latest technology with improved capability, changing from wet film to digital, which means that they can capture red light offenses and monitor speed if required.