15 August 2010 Last updated at 07:51 ET

Dorset speed camera set on fire in A35 protest village

The A35 through Chideock can be "like a motorway" some villagers say

A speed camera has been set alight on a main road through a west Dorset village at the centre of a row over heavy traffic congestion.

Fire crews were called to the A35 in Chideock, near Bridport, in the early hours after several calls from drivers.

A tyre had been put over the speed camera and set alight.

Several villagers have held protests over the amount of vehicles on the road, and were recently given hand-held speed cameras to monitor traffic.

Protests suspended

The move followed meetings with police and the Highways Agency in July.

The villagers have since suspended their protests, which involved repeatedly activating a pelican crossing on the road to hold up traffic.

They want a bypass to be built so heavy lorries can be diverted.

Last week police defended giving the villagers hand-held devices, saying the initiative was not a replacement for fixed speed cameras.

The A35 is the main coastal road between Bournemouth and Exeter and passes through several villages.