LANCASHIRE'S police, fire and ambulance drivers have been warned that they will face prosecution if caught speeding without good reason.

The warning comes after a report revealed speed cameras are snapping ambulances up to 700 times a month as they travel to emergencies.

But, along with other emergency service drivers, ambulance staff have been told that they will be fined if they are not responding to an emergency and warned: "You are not above the law."

The NHS now has one person spending 15 hours a week determining if their vehicles were responding to genuine emergency calls when caught.

If the camera data can be tallied with ambulance records no further action is taken, but if a driver is caught speeding at any other time bosses said they face prosecution.

The situation is posing an administrative headache for Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust.

However, bosses insisted the safety benefits speed cameras brought outweighed the time spent trawling through hundreds of penalty notices.

A spokesman for Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust said the numbers of drivers caught speeding was less than one per cent of the hundreds of tickets it received.

The spokesman added: "If we can't find a job the ticket relates to then it has to be the driver's responsibility.

"We don't see this as much of a problem as anything that reduces our workload, human suffering and the burden on the NHS is given our support.

"Drivers who are caught speeding without good reason are treated in just the same way as anyone else, they are not above the law."

Bosses have appealed to Home Secretary David Blunkett to tackle the problem caused by Lancashire's 300-plus 'safety' cameras.

Although they accept the speed cameras on Lancashire's roads have no way of identifying an ambulance from any other vehicle speeding through its catch-zone, Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust is hopeful that some deal can be reached to tackle the administration burden.

As each penalty notice arrives, ambulance staff have to respond to the police, explaining why the vehicle was speeding and getting the fine quashed.

A report to the Trust's executive, which meets on Friday, says that in July 2002, the Trust received just one ticket. But by July 2003, it was receiving 689 -- and in December 2003, 408 were clocked.

A report to the Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust states: "The issue has been picked up by the Department of Health and we have been mentioned as an extreme case by David Blunkett.

"Officials are working with the Association of Chief Police Officers to agree an easier way of accounting for notices of intended prosecution, which could reduce the burden of administration for individual trusts."

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Lancashire Constabulary said it followed similar procedures to make sure any penalty notices were only quashed for vehicles responding to emergency calls.

Both organisations said drivers caught outside the conditions faced prosecution.