LITTLE did they know it but an unlikely traffic policeman was keeping motorists on their toes in Eastleigh.

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne was trying out a mobile speed camera on a stretch of Bishopstoke Road.

He was invited by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Safety Camera Partnership to see the technology in action.

Acting Sgt Nick Carter of Hampshire police gave Mr Huhne a demonstration and told him how the equipment had also helped him catch drivers reading maps, chatting on mobile phones and crossing double white lines.

Julian Hewitt from the partnership said enforcement had been increased on the 30mph road following complaints about speeding.

Speeding He said: "If we get a complaint we look at speeding on the road. We found that there's speeding at certain times and not at others."

Mr Hewitt said that since mobile cameras had been used on the stretch of road, past Bishopstoke playing fields, the average number of personal injury collisions had dropped from 17 per year to 11.

The number of incidents where someone was killed or seriously injured dropped from three to one in a year.

Mr Huhne said: "Although every so often some people say that it's a persecution of motorists, I think that for every person who complains, there's about five more who come to me wanting some form of speed reduction in their roads." Speaking specifically about Bishopstoke Road he added: "We've had a fixed camera here for about five years now.

"It was an area where you had quite a lot of boy racers but since the camera has been there that's not been a problem."