THE Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent Ian Johnston has criticised the use of speed cameras in Wales, claiming their only aim is to collect money.

Mr Johnston said the current speed awareness partnership GoSafe, which is responsible for red light and speed camera enforcement, is “alienating” the public.

“My complaint about the current system is there’s no link between members of the public complaining about speeding vehicles and where GoSafe actually places the speed vans and I believe, as a lot of members of the public do, that the speed vans are there not to reduce speed but to collect money,” he said.

"I don’t think we’re putting the vans in the right places and we’re alienating a lot of the public. In terms of public confidence I think it’s having a hugely negative effect."

Mr Johnston said complaints he often heard at public meetings were from people asking why vans were put in certain places when there had not been any accidents there.

Chris Hume, partnership manager at GoSafe, said Mr Johnston's comments on camera sites were "perverse" as they are chosen with the Welsh Government guidelines and each site is regularly reviewed.

“To show that we are definitely supportive of road safety campaigns, we actually funded three community watch schemes”, Mr Johnston added. “That’s money that’s come from our office and we’ve got another six in the pipeline.”

The schemes have so far been set up in Llanfair Kilgeddin, a community that had "terrible problems” with speeding, Llandogo and Tintern, all in Monmouthshire.

Mr Johnston said the schemes, which cost around £5,000 each, give the community the training and equipment to monitor speed in their villages and towns.

The information is then sent on and speeders get a warning about their speed, educating them on the dangers, rather than being fined for doing a few miles per hour over the limit.

A group of residents from Llanfair Kilgeddin, were recognised for their efforts last week at the Gwent Police Awards 2015 along with police officers and police staff, who established the first ever Speedwatch in Wales.

Mr Hume, partnership manager at GoSafe said: "We are disappointed with Mr Johnston’s comments. There seems to be some misunderstanding on his part as to what GoSafe is. GoSafe is not a body in itself, it is a partnership in which Gwent Police are full involved.

"There are no camera sites that GoSafe enforces without the agreement of three specific parties.

"The first is the police, the second the relevant local authority and the third is city and county of Swansea who act as lead for the partnership.

"Camera sites are selected in accordance with the Welsh Government guidelines, and each site is reviewed on an annual basis by the relevant partners, including Gwent Police.

"It is therefore a little perverse that there is a suggestion by Mr Johnston that the sites are inappropriate.

"We totally endorse the support that Mr Johnston is giving to the Community Speed Watch scheme, and he will know that GoSafe have been instrumental in the setting up of some of those schemes.

"We look forward to continuing to work alongside Gwent Police.”