THE Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety spends £260,000 a year on public relations -- an "absolute waste" according to one MP.

That means more than 4,300 motoring fines must be handed over to pay for the marketing budget, which covers media and advertising campaigns.

It has also been revealed that £1.7million was handed to the Government from speeding fines -- and that figure is expected to rise by another 30 per cent as all the fines are collected in the coming months.

The preliminary financial breakdown for the partnership in 2003/4, which will be officially confirmed by auditors later in the year, can be revealed for the first time today.

Some 142,500 motorists were caught speeding in that financial year but, taking into account cancellations and those who chose to go on speed awareness courses, 108,000 £60 fines were handed out. That equates to £6.48million in fine revenue but to date only around £5.1 million -- or 85,000 fines -- has been collected.

The rest is expected to be brought in by October.

Of that £5.1million, the rest is spent on running the partnership after the £1.7million has been handed to the Government, where it is put into the Treasury pot.

More than £1.4million is used to implement and maintain the camera sites, £1.1million on processing the fines, £350,000 on enforcement activities, such as the 12 mobile speed camera wardens, and £250,000 on other administration.

The £263,000 public relations budget includes £59,000 for staff wages and £204,000 for attempts to persuade motorists not to drive at excessive speed through the media and advertising.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "Certainly, the money spent on PR is an absolute waste.

"Any money raised by the partnership should be spent on road safety, not bureaucracy or sent to the Treasury.

"Chancellor Gordon Brown is always talking about the need to slim down bureaucracy and this is a classic area where he could do so."

Burnley MP Peter Pike said: "I am concerned that only two thirds of the money raised has been spent on road safety in Lancashire, but I want to look into the details."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope added: "I think money raised by the partnership should be spent on more police and road safety, not going back to the Treasury which means it is simply a tax on motorists.

"I am quite happy to see money spent on publicising the dangers of dangerous driving as long as it is properly targeted to increase safer driving and reduce accidents and injuries."

A spokesman for the Department for Transport confirmed the £1.7million taken would be put in the general Treasury pot.

He added: "We cannot account for it pound for pound, but it will be spent on things like schools and hospitals."

No one was available from the partnership to comment today.