Bird box disguised as a speed camera

A pensioner in Somerset has become so fed up with speeding road users breaking the 30mph limit through his village that he built a bird box in the shape of a speed camera and put it up outside his house.

Ian Magee lives in Willerton, Somerset and spent a week building a wooden bird box as an exact replica of a speed camera but is now involved in a row with his local authority which wants him to take it down.

Magee told the Daily Mail: “’Many motorists travel more than double the speed limit down this hill and tourists also cause a problem.

“I decided that I would make a bird box, for the birds to nest in, and I would make it look like a speed camera to try and fool people into slowing down.”

A row has now broken out as it’s not clear is planning permission should have been applied for.

Avon and Somerset police spokesman told the Daily Mail: “We have checked it out however it is on private land and as far as we are concerned it is not breaking any rules.”

But West Somerset Council believes it breaches planning rules and want it removed.
A statement released by the council said: “This is something we are currently looking into as we feel that this kind of object requires planning permission, which it doesn’t have.

“We also feel the box should be taken down as it is providing unnecessary clutter to the area.”