A probe is under way after a vandal tried to burn down a speed camera on a north-east road.
The device near Rathen on the A90 Fraserburgh to Peterhead road was attacked in the early hours of yesterday morning.
A fire crew from Fraserburgh was called out to the blaze and managed to put it out in less than 20 minutes.
Last night, the police said “minimal damage” had been caused to the safety unit and their inquiries into the incident are “continuing.”
It is the second time in three years the camera, which covers northbound traffic using the 60 miles per hour route, has been set alight.
The speed camera that was targeted is known as a Gatso and it can cost up to £20,000 to instal.
Fraserburgh and district safety group chairman councillor Brian Topping has labelled the incident “disappointing” and believes the camera may have been targeted by a disgruntled motorist.
He said: “I think it is very, very disappointing to say the least.
“The cameras are there for a purpose. They are for everyone’s safety.
“It appears to me that someone has seen the flash go off and potentially set it alight. This cannot be tolerated.”
A fire service spokeswoman said “We were called out at 1.20am and found a speed camera and a tyre on fire.”
It is not the first time a camera along the A90 has been targeted.
In May 2015, vandals attempted to set the northbound camera ablaze, sparking a major police appeal.
Six years ago a speed camera was set alight on the A90 near Lonmay, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
In 2016, the Lonmay device was again the target of fire-raisers who wrapped a burning cable around the device, causing smoke damage.
