SPEEDING motorists in Lancashire shelled out almost £1.4m in fines and fixed penalties in just one year, an MP has revealed.

Pendle Labour backbencher Gordon Prentice has unearthed figures which show that the cost to motorists of breaking speed limits has risen sharply since 1993.

Then, motorists who broke the law paid £269,000 in fines and £322,000 in fixed penalties -- a total of £591,000.

By 1995 the figures had risen to £268,000 in fines and £515,000 in fixed penalties -- a total of £783,000.

In 1996 the sums were £395,000 and £821,000 -- total £1,216,000.

In 1997 -- the last year for which Mr Prentice could obtain figures -- fines cost speeding motorists £438,000 and fixed penalties £953,000, a total of £1,391,000. Mr Prentice researched the issue after he heard that motorists were complaining about new reductions in the speed limit in the village of Sough on the trans-Pennine A56 from 40 mph to 30 mph.

Many had been caught unawares by the change and ordered to pay penalties or fines.

He warned that motorists in Lancashire were paying heavily for breaking the speed limit and that the police were more determined than ever to catch both the unwary and those who deliberately "burn rubber".

Mr Prentice said: "Everyone who drives has an obligation to other road users to drive carefully.

"When the police tell us that speed kills, they are simply stating the obvious.

"Unfortunately, too few motorists are taking the advice to heart and fines for speeding offences in Lancashire have risen inexorably in recent years.

"Fixed penalties have shot up too."