SOUTHAMPTON bikers have hit out at plans to install cameras to tackle "persistent noise and speeding issues" on a popular Hampshire route.

Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has agreed to invest £677,000 for cameras on the A32 and A272 after residents in the area raised concerns about noise and speeding.

The routes are popular with motorcyclists as both roads lead to Loomies Moto Cafe in Meon Valley.

The cameras are set to be in place by the end of the year.

The plans have sparked anger in the biking community as many claim "loud pipes save lives".

Motorcyclists say that having a louder exhaust means that other road users will be able to hear them if they cannot see them.

The cameras have been branded a "waste of money" by a number of local motorcyclists who are calling on more to be done to stop the theft of bikes.

Andy Briggs said: "My personal suspicion is that it's not loud pipes that the villagers are hearing.

"I reckon it's regular bikes on regular pipes being given a good ragging. A sporty 600 will often rev out to above 15k rpm.

"This would, of course, mean that the bike was being used in a perfectly legal way which, as far as I'm concerned, make these noise cameras rather pointless."

Kit Perry said that the money could be used to stop crime in Hampshire, but explained that he did sympathise with residents that live in "lovely villages with houses close to the road".

"Motorcycle theft which is rampant in parts of Hampshire and impacts people's lives in a far more significant way," he said.

"Some car and motorbike exhausts are offensively loud and shouldn't really be on the road and I wouldn't want to pay £1million for a house that in the summer sounds like a race track, but all this initiative does is open the door to more motorist stealth tax.

"How can you enforce a noise limit on the road when there are no legal upper limits?"

Nat Rose added: "I'd imagine the same people that complained are the same ones that wanted to support local businesses during the last two years.

"Hypocrisy at its finest as it's going to drive away people from both the Meon Hut pub and Loomies."

Councillor Nick Adams-King said that issues with noise and speeding in the area are "longstanding" and relate to a number of roads in the area which has caused residents "concerns".

The Daily Echo contacted the PCC for comment.