FLEET managers could be victims of a hoax e-mail warning against new speed cameras on the M25. The messages say a new type of speed camera, called SPECS, which measures a vehicle's average speed between two points, began operating on the M25 on June 14, and is already operating on the M1.

But the Highways Agency dismissed the claim and said it had no plans to introduce the cameras. A spokeswoman said while the cameras were used during initial trials for the Home Office, they are currently used only by local authorities in Gloucester and Nottingham.

The hoax e-mail describes the cameras as 'tall blue poles with a small aerial pole next to it', which according to the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions are more likely to be the transmitters used in the Trafficmaster network.