COUNCILS in the Bristol area have slashed the amount of cash they are paying towards the operation of speed cameras following a cut in Government funding.

At least £82,000 has been cut from grants paid by councils in the former Avon area to the West of England Road Safety Partnership, which operates 37 fixed roadside cameras.

The partnership insists there is enough money available to operate the cameras until the end of March next year.

However, it has admitted the future of the cameras beyond next spring would be dictated by a Government spending review in October.

The Government has reduced the road safety grant handed out to local authorities as part of its pledge to "end the war on the motorist".

Earlier this week it emerged that every speed camera in Oxfordshire could disappear after its county council pledged to cut its funding to the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership by £600,000 in a bid to meet £11 million savings.

Road safety campaigners fear other councils struggling to make ends meet could follow suit, resulting in lives being put at risk.

North Somerset Council has cut its funding for cameras by 27 per cent following a reduction in Government funding.

Currently it earmarks £120,000 a year towards camera provision, but this is to be reduced by £32,400 to £87,600.

North Somerset Council deputy leader and executive member for highways, Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, said: "Since 2007 we have been reducing our commitment to the cameras, and the latest funding announcement from Government means we will be reducing that further by 27 per cent.

"The cameras we have in North Somerset do perform an important safety function and are not there at all for revenue raising.

"What we have been doing up to now is switching funding into physical road improvements and supporting Speedchoice, which has shown success in teaching errant motorists how to drive safely."

South Gloucestershire Council has had to cut £50,000 from funding for cameras - from £194,842 to £144,842.

Cabinet councillor in charge of transport, Brian Allinson, said: "The council contributes funding to the West of England Road Safety Partnership, which in turn funds Safecam, which operates road safety cameras on our behalf.

"The funding announcement means there will be a reduction in the council contribution to Safecam.

"However, due to prudent management of resources, there should be no reduction in camera enforcement.

"The council is committed to road safety and the cameras are just one element of a wider strategy. Education, training and road engineering all contribute to making South Gloucestershire's roads among the safest in the country."

A spokeswoman for Bristol City Council said the authority had not yet established whether it would be reducing the amount it paid to the road safety partnership. Bath and North East Somerset Council was also unable to supply details of its plans.

Dick Bowen, manager of the road safety partnership, said: "I can say categorically that we are fiscally sound until March 31 next year, so we won't be turning any cameras off between now and then.

"Our concern is what will happen in the autumn with the Government review."

Road safety minister Mike Penning said: "Local authorities have relied too heavily on safety cameras for far too long, so I am pleased some councils are focusing on other measures to reduce road casualties."

Ellen Booth, a campaigns officer for road safety group Brake, said: "It would be a disaster if these cuts were passed on in full by county councils to road safety partnerships.

"It would be especially hard to justify the idea that all speed cameras should be turned off. Speed cameras are a really cost-effective way of managing speed, which is one of the biggest issues on our roads."