A NORTH-EAST police chief hit back last night after a Government minister attacked his force's policy of shunning fixed speed cameras.

And Chief Constable Paul Garvin vowed that Durham would remain the last place in Britain to have no static cameras.

Mr Garvin spoke out after Road Safety Minister David Jamieson urged him to think again. The force has rejected fixed cameras in favour of mobile units that can be deployed across the force area.

Durham's policy has been applauded by motoring organisations - but lambasted by the Government.

Mr Jamieson said ministers believed speed cameras worked, adding: "The chief constable will soon have to explain why deaths on his roads are going up rather than down."

But Mr Garvin came out fighting last night, saying he had no intention of changing his mind unless there was compelling evidence that fixed cameras would work on Durham's roads.

He said: "If the Department of Transport wishes to take its responsibilities seriously it should do something about the A66 - one of the most dangerous roads in the country - by making it dual carriageway as soon as possible."

Although the Government has agreed to upgrade the A66 - a dangerous mix of single and dual carriageway - critics say its piecemeal approach to the idea will lead to more deaths.

Mr Garvin said he favoured a four-stage approach to speeding - education, encouragement, engineering out badly designed roads and, as a final resort, enforcement.

Although some police forces have embraced speed cameras wholeheartedly, Mr Garvin fears indiscriminate deployment merely leads to a disaffected public.