New speed camera van location in Northampton REVEALED as police begin SIX-MONTH targeted crackdown in specific area

This week, Northamptonshire Police said it has started a crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour in the towns and villages of South Northamptonshire specifically.

A police spokeswoman said: “Between November 2024 and March 2025, the three local priorities set for the areas covered by the South Northamptonshire Neighbourhood Policing Team were road safety and drug supply.

“Over the next six months, from April to September 2025, the South Northamptonshire Neighbourhood Policing Team will continue to focus on these areas. This is based on local crime figures, discussion with local authority and other partners, and feedback from the community through our regular local priorities survey: road safety and traffic offences, vehicle crime, burglary.”

A mobile speed camera van was spotted on the layby on the A4500 westbound, just past Upton, earlier this week.

This location is not a usual spot for Northamptonshire Police, nor is it listed on their website.

Police said the A4500, which is a 50 miles per hour route, has been identified as a red route due to the number of collisions.

Asked why the new A4500 location is not advertised on their list of locations, a spokeswoman said: “We do not ‘advertise’ enforcement locations and are not required to. This is not a new tactic, as the advertisement of enforcement locations stopped in 2007.

“The [speed camera location] map provides a point of reference for interested parties. It is updated on a regular basis, and new enforcement locations are added when the next update is completed.

“Driving at excessive speed is one of the fatal five driving offences, which are the main contributory factors linked to death or serious injury collisions on the roads. Tragically in 2024, 31 people never returned home safely following a collision in Northamptonshire, and 243 required urgent medical assistance for serious or life-changing injuries.

“Working with our partners, the priority remains to improve safety on the county’s roads and, therefore, we operate a wide area enforcement strategy. Within this strategy, our Safer Roads Team will enforce anywhere at any time. Those who use our roads legally and responsibly should not be concerned about enforcement locations.”

There could likely be other new unknown spots used by police in the coming months.

Responding on social media, some critical motorists shared their views.

One said: “It’s where they position most of the mobile cameras, I think that annoys people – not near schools or old people's homes, or proven dangerous stretches of road. Plus, suddenly changing long-standing speed limits for no apparent reason, or the reasons given are spurious.”

Another said: “Don't know if you know the road. It's the Weedon Road leaving Upton going towards Junction 16. It's a dual carriageway with a central reservation and it's at 50 miles an hour. Why can't this be 60 or maybe even 70?”

One said: “How often do you see one where you can genuinely say that's a good spot? Often parked badly themselves where they know it's going to generate the most income. We need enforcement in the shape of actual traffic police... empowered to use their discretion to obtain the best outcome.”

Another said: “The poor, distracted, uneducated driving standards are also a problem. Speeding, or inappropriate use of speed, is only a small part of a growing problem, but the easiest element for the police to focus on. Ultimately, we need officers on the road.”