Gatso Vigilantes
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Motorists' group 'dedicated to smashing speed cameras'
A motorists' group claims to have vandalised hundreds of speed cameras across Britain, and says it's behind a string of recent attacks in one county. Motorists Against Detection (MAD) - which claims to have 200 members - says it carried out around six attacks in Norfolk, where cameras were set alight and vandalised.
MAD spokesman Captain Gatso - whose nickname refers to a brand of speed camera - said: "In the whole of the UK there's a couple of hundred active members carrying out attacks of this nature.
"In the range of 600 cameras have been attacked in the last couple of years by members of the group."
He says MAD supports the use of cameras in built-up areas, and that it opposes them on trunk roads and motorways where there are never any children playing. Captain Gatso says a plastic explosive had been used to damage cameras in the Midlands in the last few months, and other attacks have included spraying paint and cutting off the camera with angle grinders.
Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership, which operates the county's 15 cameras, says more than £100,000 worth of damage has been caused by the vandalism. Spokesman Bryan Edwards says serious injuries have reduced by more than 50% in the past 12 months in areas where there are cameras.
A spokeswoman for Norfolk Police said: "This criminal activity is the work of a tiny minority of irresponsible people who are endangering the lives of the public and it is only a matter of time before they are caught."
A motorists' group claims to have vandalised hundreds of speed cameras across Britain, and says it's behind a string of recent attacks in one county. Motorists Against Detection (MAD) - which claims to have 200 members - says it carried out around six attacks in Norfolk, where cameras were set alight and vandalised.
MAD spokesman Captain Gatso - whose nickname refers to a brand of speed camera - said: "In the whole of the UK there's a couple of hundred active members carrying out attacks of this nature.
"In the range of 600 cameras have been attacked in the last couple of years by members of the group."
He says MAD supports the use of cameras in built-up areas, and that it opposes them on trunk roads and motorways where there are never any children playing. Captain Gatso says a plastic explosive had been used to damage cameras in the Midlands in the last few months, and other attacks have included spraying paint and cutting off the camera with angle grinders.
Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership, which operates the county's 15 cameras, says more than £100,000 worth of damage has been caused by the vandalism. Spokesman Bryan Edwards says serious injuries have reduced by more than 50% in the past 12 months in areas where there are cameras.
A spokeswoman for Norfolk Police said: "This criminal activity is the work of a tiny minority of irresponsible people who are endangering the lives of the public and it is only a matter of time before they are caught."
MAD BUGGER
Motorists Against Detection Busting Up Gatso Garbage Eagerly & Ruthlessly
MAD FOLK
Motorists Against Detection - Fellowship Of Lawless Knights
MAG GUYS
Motorists Against Detection Gentlemen Unplugging Yonder Sentries
MAD COW
Motorists Against Detection Creatively Offensive Warriors
Motorists Against Detection Busting Up Gatso Garbage Eagerly & Ruthlessly
MAD FOLK
Motorists Against Detection - Fellowship Of Lawless Knights
MAG GUYS
Motorists Against Detection Gentlemen Unplugging Yonder Sentries
MAD COW
Motorists Against Detection Creatively Offensive Warriors
I cant remember where ive been or havent, what ive done, or havent...ever!
I do hope im not a member of mad, although it is a highly secretive organisation, so i guess i wouldnt ever know....
What i like is the Cash Converter partnerships saying that its a "minority of criminals" that are doing all this damage.
Is that so? Hmm im not so sure. Theres at least a coupla hundred potential members on here...lololol
I do hope im not a member of mad, although it is a highly secretive organisation, so i guess i wouldnt ever know....
What i like is the Cash Converter partnerships saying that its a "minority of criminals" that are doing all this damage.
Is that so? Hmm im not so sure. Theres at least a coupla hundred potential members on here...lololol
yertis said: Hurrah! Speaking as someone who was flashed on a deserted country road early on Sunday morning, I salute these people. It might be 'illegal', but it isn't wrong.
You mean you didn't go back and get back their copy of your photograph?
>> Edited by beav on Wednesday 28th May 22:59
beav said:
yertis said: Hurrah! Speaking as someone who was flashed on a deserted country road early on Sunday morning, I salute these people. It might be 'illegal', but it isn't wrong.
You mean you didn't go back and get back their copy of your photograph?
>> Edited by beav on Wednesday 28th May 22:59
imagine dropping the head of a gatso on the counter of your local boots and ask them to develop the film 
A spokeswoman for Norfolk Police said: "This criminal activity is the work of a tiny minority of irresponsible people who are endangering the lives of the public and it is only a matter of time before they are caught."
Not until they invent a "speed camera protection camera" probably, the way things are nowadays
the oldest tricks are always the best, local one here, someone stuck an orange bag over it, it was there for 3 months before the police realised, it wasn't their plastic bag and someone had just stuck one of their own on there
though MAD are basically an idea stolen from the dutch who use some very good ways of getting rid of cameras.
PS for anyone considering this, a forn pickup 4*4 will not pull a camera out of the ground, it's been tried, the things are down deep. Funny though as according to specification these objects must be either behind a barrier or put in to a set depth (which they are deeper than) in order to meet safety requirements for roadside objects in case of a collision. Rather amusing then that the speed cameras are safety hazards most of the time and don't meet government guidelines
Oh and the ebst spin i heard on this story was Surrey police saying 'those painting over the lenses will be prosecuted, the camera takes a pictue at anytime the light levels are affected' ..... right so please explain to me what happens at night?
though MAD are basically an idea stolen from the dutch who use some very good ways of getting rid of cameras.
PS for anyone considering this, a forn pickup 4*4 will not pull a camera out of the ground, it's been tried, the things are down deep. Funny though as according to specification these objects must be either behind a barrier or put in to a set depth (which they are deeper than) in order to meet safety requirements for roadside objects in case of a collision. Rather amusing then that the speed cameras are safety hazards most of the time and don't meet government guidelines
Oh and the ebst spin i heard on this story was Surrey police saying 'those painting over the lenses will be prosecuted, the camera takes a pictue at anytime the light levels are affected' ..... right so please explain to me what happens at night?
deltaf said: Gatso finds Comical Ali!
I was going the speed limit, there are no speeder's in britain, everr. Every speeder will hit a child and cause the child to die instantly (with body thrown in rag doll fashion, slow motion) maybe even get him to promote public transport "the train has arrived on time as it always has on platform 4" *commuters look bemused as the empty track
Highway robbery is a crime, as is demanding money with menaces, which (80% of) Gatsos commit daily.
If I remember rightly there is an old law which allows the use of force to stop crime.......!?!?!?!?!?
Oh dear....... another Gatso bites the dust!!!!!!!!
and Diddums Scamera safety partnership gets their knickers in a twist because they can't rob someone else.........
If I remember rightly there is an old law which allows the use of force to stop crime.......!?!?!?!?!?
Oh dear....... another Gatso bites the dust!!!!!!!!
and Diddums Scamera safety partnership gets their knickers in a twist because they can't rob someone else.........
JMGS4 said: Highway robbery is a crime, as is demanding money with menaces
Speaking of which, in Blackwater, Hants the police have started doing regular speed checks with their scamera van.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=40851&f=10&h=0
It is quite ironic as the famous highway robber Dick Turpin used to frequent this area as well...
They are just following him in his footsteps with modern day highway robbery
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