When driving on a motorway, you generally trust the signs telling you what speed you can legally travel. You are hardly going to pull over and investigate whether somebody has quietly put up a fake one, particularly when it looks like an ordinary road sign.

That is the bizarre situation motorists found themselves in on a road in Haldensleben, Germany, after an unknown person interfered with the speed limit next to a mobile speed camera.  It looked convincing enough to affect what drivers believed they were legally allowed to do. By the time authorities realised what had happened, the consequences had already become a headache for the town, and for hundreds of motorists who had been caught on camera.

The fake sign looked convincing

The bizarre incident happened on Magdeburger Straße, a main route into Haldensleben in Saxony-Anhalt. The road is surrounded by businesses and petrol stations, meaning a change to the speed limit did not necessarily look suspicious to passing motorists. The fake sign showed a maximum speed of 70 km/h, despite the actual limit being 50 km/h. It had been put up independently and was not an official traffic sign issued by the authorities. 

Police say the sign had been constructed from a round 70 km/h sign, a stand and a metal pipe. While officials noticed differences between the homemade setup and the equipment normally used by the authorities, it was apparently convincing enough to affect drivers passing the location. There was an important detail that the person putting up the sign presumably knew: a mobile speed camera was operating on the same stretch of road.

Almost 400 drivers caught by the camera

Between September 4 and September 6, the camera recorded almost 400 photographs of vehicles exceeding the 50 km/h limit and issued the fines. For a driver who had just passed what appeared to be a legitimate 70 km/h sign, being photographed at 60 or 65 km/h would have seemed particularly unfair. From their point of view, they were below the speed shown on the sign.

The problem became even bigger for the authorities once they discovered that the sign had been placed there illegally. The city removed the fake sign, but by then hundreds of photographs had already been taken. What happened next was an unusual twist: the motorists caught by the camera fortunately did not end up paying the fines. 

Almost 400 cases had to be dropped

The city of Haldensleben ultimately had to discontinue all the affected penalty proceedings from that weekend. The reason was not simply that there had been a fake sign. Authorities could not establish beyond doubt exactly when the sign had been put up. Without knowing the precise point at which the fake 70 km/h limit appeared, it was impossible to determine with sufficient legal certainty which drivers had passed the camera while the misleading sign was in place.

That meant the cases could not simply be pursued on the basis of the camera photographs. The decision even affected motorists who had been travelling faster than 70 km/h. The city therefore lost the fines that could otherwise have been issued from the affected measurements. 

Police believe it was deliberate

Authorities are not treating the incident as someone putting up a strange road sign for a laugh. Police believe the unknown person may have deliberately wanted to mislead motorists and cause them to exceed the genuine 50 km/h limit, knowing that the speed camera was operating nearby.

The police have opened an investigation for Amtsanmaßung, a German offence involving unlawfully assuming or exercising an authority that belongs to a public official. They are also describing the incident as a dangerous interference with normal road traffic. There is currently no identified suspect but police have appealed for witnesses who may have seen someone putting up the sign or noticed suspicious activity around the location.

The sign was removed, but the damage was already done

Once the authorities discovered what had happened, the homemade sign was taken down.That solved the immediate problem for motorists, but it could not undo the hundreds of speed-camera photographs already recorded over those three days. The incident has left Haldensleben with an unusual outcome: almost 400 motorists were caught by a speed camera, yet the uncertainty surrounding a single roadside sign meant the resulting penalty cases had to be abandoned.

For drivers, there is also an obvious lesson in how easily a convincing piece of roadside equipment can create confusion. The sign looked official enough to influence traffic, while the camera continued operating according to the actual 50 km/h restriction. And whoever put it there remains unknown.

Ibiza is usually the place people go to switch off, with long afternoons by the water and the promise of little more than sun, sea and a few carefree hours. But for one British visitor in Portinatx, Tuesday afternoon became a very different experience. The incident happened at s’Arenal Gros, one of the beaches in the popular northern resort, where what began as an ordinary afternoon by the sea quickly became a serious emergency. The details of what happened are now emerging, with emergency services called to the beach and a major effort made to help the woman involved. 

People at the beach rushed to help

The woman, aged 81, was pulled from the water and lifeguards immediately began CPR. They continued with basic resuscitation for around 25 minutes before additional medical assistance arrived. A British doctor who was in the area also stepped in to help, alongside a Spanish nurse and a firefighter. Their efforts continued while emergency services made their way to the beach.

The 061 emergency service eventually took over the resuscitation attempt, with a mobile intensive care unit and a basic life-support ambulance sent to the scene. Despite the prolonged attempts to revive her, the woman unfortunately could not be saved and was pronounced dead at around 5.30pm. Policia Local from Sant Joan de Labritja also attended, while Guardia Civil officers later arrived and took charge of the proceedings. 

British woman was staying in Portinatx

The woman had been staying at the Hotel El Greco in Portinatx, according to local reports. S’Arenal Gros is the largest of the three beaches around the sheltered Portinatx bay, with s’Arenal Petit and the resort’s harbour completing the small coastal area. The beach sits in the centre of the bay and is surrounded by hotels, restaurants and other tourist facilities. 

The incident happened as the tourist season continues into late September, when Portinatx remains a popular base for visitors looking to stay in the quieter northern part of Ibiza. For those familiar with the resort, s’Arenal Gros is a particularly recognisable part of Portinatx, forming the main sandy stretch of the bay.

Exact circumstances remain unclear

Although local reports describe the incident as a drowning, the precise circumstances leading to the woman’s death have not been publicly established. An autopsy is expected to help determine the exact cause of death, as the medical examination will be able to establish whether drowning itself was the cause of death or whether another medical event may have occurred before she entered difficulty in the water. The emergency response nevertheless involved an extended attempt to resuscitate the woman, with people already at the beach and trained professionals joining forces before the 061 team continued the effort.

Her death is the latest fatal incident involving a British visitor to Ibiza this year. In July, a 64-year-old British man died after becoming unconscious following a water-slide incident at a hotel in Cala Tarida. That earlier case was also a separate incident and occurred at a hotel rather than on one of Ibiza’s beaches. The circumstances surrounding the womans death are now in the hands of the relevant authorities, while the medical examination is expected to provide further information about what happened to the 81-year-old woman.

Palma came alive after sunset on Saturday September 26 as runners took part in the 12th Cursa Sa Murada Iberia Express – Ser Runner, bringing a mixture of competitive racing, family participation and charity to the city.

The annual event, organised by Club Marathon Mallorca and Cadena SER Radio Mallorca with technical support from Elitechip, got underway at the Parc de la Mar in front of Palma Cathedral.

The first runners set off at 8pm for the 1,609-metre solidarity race, which was open to participants of all ages. The 5km popular race and the main 10km event followed at 9pm.

Three races for runners of all ages

The event was designed to attract a broad range of participants rather than focusing solely on experienced runners.

The 5km race was open to people aged 12 and over, while the 10km race was reserved for participants aged 16 and above. There was no minimum age for the solidarity event.

Children taking part in the non-competitive solidarity race were also rewarded with a finisher’s medal.

The 10km course consisted of two laps, taking runners through some of Palma’s best-known streets and landmarks.

Starting at Parc de la Mar, the route passed along the Paseo Sagrera before continuing towards Sa Feixina, Santa Catalina, Paseo Mallorca and the historic centre.

Runners then headed past landmarks including the Cathedral, Palau Real and Dalt Murada before returning towards Parc de la Mar for the finish.

A race with a charitable focus

Charity was at the heart of this year’s event, with organisers describing the competition as a solidarity race.

Participants in the solidarity event paid a €5 entry fee, while people with mobility difficulties and their accompanying person or volunteer could take part free of charge if registered before the deadline.

The organisers also gave participants the opportunity to make voluntary donations to charitable associations selected by the event.

For those taking on the longer distances, the 5km and 10km races had competitive classifications, with trophies awarded to the leading male and female runners.

The solidarity race, however, was deliberately non-competitive, keeping the focus on participation rather than finishing position.

Palma streets transformed into a night-time race route

The event’s evening timing gave participants a very different experience of running through the capital.

The 10km race had a 90-minute maximum time, while the 5km runners had 50 minutes to complete their course.

Because parts of the route had limited lighting, organisers recommended that runners use headlamps. Water stations were provided during the second lap of the 10km race and again after the finish at Parc de la Mar.

Police, medical staff and ambulances were also deployed as part of the event’s safety arrangements.

The race once again added to Palma’s busy calendar of community sporting events, bringing runners and families together in the heart of the city for an evening combining fitness, competition and fundraising.