Motorists in Sussex will not be stung by camouflaged speed cameras - despite them becoming legal next year.

The Government is withdrawing its Handbook of Guidance which dictates that speed cameras must be highly visible from up to 200ft.

But Richard Andrews, of the Sussex Safety Camera Partnership, said: "Camouflaged cameras will not be appearing on Sussex roads. Speed cameras in Sussex were among the first in the country to be painted bright yellow as we are great believers in making our camera sites as obvious to motorists as possible.

"We even list the sites on our website and in the local media, including The Argus, and install vehicle-activated signs at some locations."

The rules governing the siting and appearance of the cameras are being binned in April next year. Among other changes they will no longer have to be sited only at notorious blackspots and revenue generated will no longer be kept by camera partnerships.

Local authorities will have more freedom over where cameras go and the Department for Transport has said it expects to see greater thought given to road layout and changes to junctions at accident blackspots to stop accidents.

But a spokesman said: "I'm glad Sussex has decided not to camouflage them - in short it's not going to happen. If anyone does it we will want to know why. We don't want to return to the bad old days of having the cameras hidden up trees or behind bushes."

Mr Andrews said: "Safety cameras are designed to slow motorists down in places where people have already been killed or seriously injured, with enforcement a last resort for speeding drivers.

"Therefore, to interpret the removal of the Handbook of Guidance as an opportunity to camouflage our cameras would go against all the work we have done to make the operation of safety cameras in Sussex an open process."