Mystery devices found attached to streetlights around Preston

The devices appear to be some kind of sensor, surveillance or speaker system and were found attached to streetlights around the city.

They were spotted towering over lampposts in Queen Street, off London Road, and Porter Street in Deepdale, but have since been removed.

And nobody knows who put them there or what purpose they served.

Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Police were baffled by the sudden appearance of the 20ft devices, with the first erected overnight on Wednesday, March 29.

"They don't appear to be ours, however someone at the county council should have given permission for them to be put up,” said a spokesman for Lancashire County Council, who operate the city’s streetlights.

“We don’t seem to know what they are or who put them there,” added a spokesperson for Preston City Council.

“One possibility could be temporary cameras from Lancashire Constabulary in relation to the PNE derby match against Blackpool the other weekend, but that’s only a guess?”

However, Lancashire Police were unable to shed any light on the mystery devices.

“We’ve checked at our end and this is nothing to do with us,” said a spokesman for the force.

So what are they and who put them there?

People have been left puzzled by the devices, but a number of theories have been put forward on social media as to what their purpose might be.

After pictures of the equipment were shared to a local Facebook group, some said they could be sensors used to count traffic while others suggested they might be used to monitor air quality.

Others believe they resemble sirens and could be part of the new UK emergency alert system which was launched on March 19.

The new system is to be tested at 3pm on Sunday, April 23 when alerts will be sent directly to mobile phones across the UK. The sound and vibration is expected to last for about 10 seconds.

It will be used to warn people about life-threatening events such as wildfires and severe flooding, the government has said.

Other theories included equipment used to monitor noise pollution or tannoys used to combat anti-social behaviour.

The Environment Agency and a number of Government departments have been approached for comment.

Do you know what the devices are used for? And who put them there? Share your thoughts in our Facebook comments!