London speed humps 'so large they break law'

AN investigation has been launched into speed humps after claims that some are illegally large.

Researchers for a TV documentary examined humps across Islington after a string of complaints from viewers. They claim to have found several that exceed the legal maximum height of 10cm.

Motorists complain the humps are so big they are damaging their cars. Those who tried to claim compensation from Islington for damage to suspension and exhaust systems were refused.

But now, after being confronted by the BBC's Inside Out London, the council has launched an inquiry to see if the researchers' findings are accurate.

The BBC sent a team of land surveyors with laser measuring equipment to look at humps in three areas. In each case they said there were ramps higher than 10cm. One, in Roman Way, was 12.7cm. Two in Offord Road and two in Barnsbury Road and Barnsbury Square were also found to be too high.

Greg Foxworth, Islington's executive member for the environment, was interviewed by Inside Out and insisted: "I am absolutely confident we do not have any illegal speed humps."

After being presented with the surveyors' evidence, he said subsidence on either side of the faulty humps could have led to them being higher than they should. He added: "If they are illegal we will reduce them, of course."

The council has agreed to pay £95 compensation to one motorist.

Mini driver Michael Copsey said his exhaust was damaged when he negotiated the hump in Roman Way. "There was this big crash and it cost me something like £95 to have it repaired. I thought, 'It's not my fault,' so I made a complaint against the council," he said.

Local garage owner Tony Marco told the programme, which is on tonight, that he had to repair at least one car a week as a result of hump damage to oil sumps, suspension and exhaust units.

Today the BBC said it had tested only a small number of humps and believed many more could be at fault across London.

Mr Foxworth told the Evening Standard: "Occasionally road surfaces sink or become uneven because of wear and tear. This means there can be a bit of a 'dip' next to a speed bump, effectively making it higher in relation to the road.

"If we hear about this or spot it ourselves we get a team down there to fix it right away. We're gradually replacing all the earlier bumps with smaller, smoother ones that still slow the traffic.

"But the bottom line is that we're not ashamed of our traffic-calming measures. Our residents have asked for them because they don't like drivers rat-running down backstreets where kids are playing and they've reduced accident rates in Islington by half in 20mph zones, and saved lives."

Inside Out is on BBC1 tonight at 7.30pm.