THEY’VE often been seen as a way for councils to feather their nests – but now highways bosses have come up with a fine new use for Somerset’s redundant speed cameras.

As reported yesterday, the machines have been switched off around Somerset, but eagle-eyed motorists will notice the bright yellow boxes have new occupants now the cameras are no longer robin drivers of their cash.

Check your wing mirror as you go past and you will see they have become flash new bird boxes in a bid to boost numbers of native songbirds.

A project spokesman said: “We got a grant of £1,411 for this scheme.

“We know it seems hard to swallow, and it doesn’t mean motorists can thrush around too swiftly on our roads, but we really think this idea will fly.”