One of Britain's most famous speed cameras is likely to be out of action until next week after being knocked over by a driver, police have said .

The camera on the southbound carriageway of the M11 at Woodford, Essex, stopped working on Tuesday.

The camera has been trapping up to 2,000 motorists a day and has featured in campaigns about speed cameras run by national newspapers.

Officers found tyre tracks leading away from the camera and believe that someone deliberately reversed into it with a lorry.

Damage discovered

On Friday an Essex Police spokesman said: "The camera will probably be up and running again next week.

"It has been out of action since Tuesday when the damage was discovered.

"The pole and the camera casing were damaged, although the camera itself was not.

'Save lives'

"We suspect it could have been done deliberately."

He added: "Speed cameras are there for one thing and that is to save lives.

"Perhaps if the person who did this could see some of the effects of speeding that we see in hospitals and mortuaries they would think differently about what they have done."