A NEW road safety blitz is to be launched on Lancashire's roads -- using traffic signal cameras to catch speeders and red light jumpers.

Lancashire's Road Safety Partnership is planning to trial small speed cameras inside traffic lights, which will be activated when they turn green.

At the same time, the Partnership is to begin trialling the use of 'red light cameras' at traffic junctions where injury accidents occur to snap people who jump lights a second after they turn red.

The junction of Barbara Castle Way and Victoria Street in Blackburn has been named as a possible site for red light cameras, along with Brownhill Road and Whalley New Road junction and the Ramsgreave Drive/Pleckgate Road junction.

Lancashire County Council is also putting together a list of suggested sites but the move has already drawn criticism. Ian Bell, from the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership -- which is made up of local councils, the health service and the police -- said: "We have always said we would look at around 320 speed cameras in Lancashire and we are now approaching that. We aren't here to put one on every street corner.

"We are now looking at what else needs to be done. We have spoken to our partners and sorting out accidents at crossings is one issue.

"We will trial red light cameras and see if they make a difference but we will not be going all out for a rolling programme until we see what difference they make.

"The Government has given backing to green-light cameras which kick in and catch people speeding through lights and we are looking at implementing that technology too."

A spokesman for the RAC Foundation, said: "Red light cameras, in the main, would be supported because it doesn't matter whether it is 3am or 5pm, if you jump a red light you are taking an incredibly risk.

"Speeding on the other hand, may be illegal, but is not always dangerous and we think motorists will see cameras in traffic lights as another way of making money."

Accident statistics for traffic light junctions were unavailable today but Blackburn with Darwen Council revealed one unidentified junction has had one serious accident every year over the last three years.

Currently, there are 213 fixed speed cameras in Lancashire, and this will rise to 320 over the next year.

The partnership states that during 2002, the number of speeding vehicles dropped by 54 per cent and there were nine fewer deaths and 265 fewer injuries on Lancashire's roads.

But anti-speed camera campaigners state that the money could be better spent on traffic-calming and that cameras are just a money-making device.

Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson backed the move -- despite having been recently caught by a speed camera.

The partnership was set up in 2001 to use money from speeding fines to reduce accidents, primarily through speed cameras.

It was initally due to run for three years, but the Government has now extended that for another year, and the red-light work will take place in 2004-05.

There are seven red light cameras in Lancashire, which are controlled by the police, not the partnership. They may be moved to other sites when the partnership trials begin.

Marcus Jonstone County Councillor for Padiham and Burnley West, currently campaigning for traffic calming measures in Hapton, said: "I think anything that helps to improve road safety is worthwhile.

"There is a clear warning now to the people of East Lancashire not to jump traffic lights or else face being caught and prosecuted. If this helps to prevent accidents then so be it."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope warned the partnership to tread carefully.

He said: "I think they should pilot it and examine the results very carefully. I am not sure there is a big problem around traffic lights.

"We all support measures to improve road safety but there is a danger of such moves appearing anti-motorist."