Love them or hate them speed cameras — working or not — do act as a deterrent to controling the speed of cars.

The question is the degree to which they do keep speeds down? That query is at the heart of the challenge by parish councillor Mark Pullen. Cllr Pullen was struggling to find out how effective the speed camera is at Halifax Road, near its junction with Worstead Road.

He has had to go to the extent of making application under the Freedom of Information Act and subsequently going through an appeal to learn two-thirds of half of nothing.

Bradford Council says that although the information exists it could not be released, justifying the secrecy by saying for speed enforcemewnt to be truly effective there must be the perception that the chance of being recorded is high at all sites. They reckon that there is a great potential for harm to be caused by the relaese of such statistics into the public domain. Rejecting Cllr Pullen’s appeal the council even added that a further reason for not disclosing the information was the possibility that the camera might be vandalised if it is seen to have a high detection rate.

Ten out of ten to Bradford Council for trying — but their reasoning for a shroud of secrecy surely has more holes in it than a colander.

Of greater concern is the fact that a person elected to a local grass roots council, who is trying to look at further road safety in his area, has to go to such measures. Does it mean such councillors are not to be trusted?

It is a gross insult to democracy.