LANCASHIRE Constabulary are revoking more than 300 speeding fines because they want to be fair to motorists.

The drivers concerned we're all caught speeding on a new speed detection camera around the Lancaster, Morecambe and Wyre areas over the last 14 months. The 307 motorists were all originally fined and given penalty points on their licences, but now the money is being refunded and they will be issued with replacement licences with no trace of the offence on their driving record.

Senior officers took immediate action when they discovered that national guidelines for operating the mobile camera had not been followed and every case in which the device was used was reviewed. The equipment in question is the only one of its type being used in Lancashire.

The problem arose when a case was recently contested and it was found that the officer's records of the use of the equipment were insufficient to give a definite assurance that the camera was operating normally at the time the photograph was taken.

Chief Inspector Ian Bell, the Constabulary's Road Safety Co-ordinator, said: 'We have reviewed every case where this particular camera has been used and, in order to be absolutely fair to the motorists concerned, we have decided to revoke 307 cases.

"We set standards for ourselves in the way we carry out speed checks and we are not satisfied that we met those standards in these cases.

"Ethically, it is right to give the drivers the benefit of the doubt and it is important to us that motorists in Lancashire have confidence in the way we carry out speed enforcement."

Letters have already been sent to all the motorists concerned, telling them about the decision and making arrangements to refund their fines and remove the offence and penalty points from their licences. Unless drivers have received such a letter they should assume they're not among those whose fines have been revoked.

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