Councillors need to pay up to �300 to keep a speed gun used by police to catch driving offenders in action.

The speed gun, which was purchased with area committee funds, will need servicing and recalibration when its certificate expires on November 23.

But shocked councillors said they had never been informed of the cost at the Area Three Committee meeting at the Hainault Forest Community Association, Manford Way, on Tuesday.

Pc Taylor, of Hainault Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said officers would still be able to stop people after the certificate expires but would not be able to take action against offenders because the gun needed to be accurate for prosecution.

He listed some of the traffic offences caught in Tomswood Hill, including speeding, driving without insurance, using mobile phones and not wearing seat belts.

13 fixed penalty notices have been issued on the road in Barkingside.

Cllr Nick Hayes urged his fellow members to agree to the funding in principle as the certificate will expire before the next meeting.

He said: “We are rather stuck if when it runs out it ends up sitting in a box.”

The committee decided to find out how often the camera is used before making a decision.