A local authority has been left furious after discovering a lack of enforcement cameras on the M48 Severn Bridge, which recently began enforcing a weight restriction.

The restrictions came into effect on May 28, forcing vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes to take alternative routes while National Highways completes vital repair works.

But now, Monmouthshire County Council officials have complained about the lack of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, which were due to be installed by National Highways before the restriction date.

According to reports, the National Highways Agency (NHA) had assured the council's Public Services Committee that the cameras would be installed to police the new 7.5-tonne weight limit.

The restrictions will be in place for at least 12 monthsPA/NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

However, no ANPR cameras are currently in place on the bridge, leaving enforcement dependent on traffic police from two separate forces, with council members warning that the restrictions could now only risk being followed by the "luck or goodwill of hauliers."

Chepstow councillor Armand Watt, chairman of the committee, told the South Wales Argus: "We were told the ANPR cameras would be in place to police the weight limit, and they are not in place. The new restrictions are practically unenforceable without an ANPR system."

The weight restrictions were introduced after routine surveys revealed deterioration in the bridge's main cables, requiring a reduction in load to keep the structure open for most traffic.

The NHA has not specified the enforcement details for when the cameras would be put in place, which could now lead to many drivers potentially flouting the restrictions.

National Highways had previously explained that ANPR cameras would be used to enforce the M48 bridge restrictions

National Highways explained: "We are working with local police forces to enforce this weight restriction, and the installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras is being explored."

The council has now stated that this response contradicted earlier assurances given to the committee, which had led them to believe the cameras would be operational when the restrictions took effect.

According to reports, the enforcement responsibility falls to Avon and Somerset Police, working in conjunction with Gwent Police.

The absence of automated enforcement has created what local lorry drivers describe as a "free-for-all" situation on the bridge, with no effective system to monitor compliance with the weight limit.

More shockingly, old weight limit signs allowing vehicles up to 44 tonnes remained in place after the new restrictions began, adding to confusion among drivers, with the NHA blaming poor weather for this oversight.

But the agency maintained that only a small number of trucks will flout the restrictions and that "systems are in place" to enforce the limit.

Without ANPR technology, enforcement relies entirely on manual checks by police officers from both sides of the border, making comprehensive monitoring difficult to follow through.

Local lorry drivers have raised concerns about unfair competition, with foreign drivers potentially able to use the Severn Bridge while UK drivers face lengthy detours via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.

The bridge has been closed to HGVs over 7.5 tonnes since May 28

The 14-mile diversion, which is now in place, adds significant time and fuel costs for UK hauliers who comply with the restrictions.

Foreign lorries with different plate classification systems were initially thought to be able to trigger any future ANPR system, though this concern has become moot given the cameras' absence.

The weight restriction is expected to last 12 to 18 months while the agency develops a medium-term solution combining technology and traffic management tools.

The need for restrictions comes after the agency estimated that 3,720 HGVs over 7.5 tonnes use the M48 Severn Bridge daily, representing approximately 10 per cent of the bridge's traffic.