MORE than 25,000 tickets were issued in 2010 from fixed speed cameras in Lancashire, according to new figures released yesterday.

The fixed camera on the A59 Longsight Road near Abbot Brow, Osbaldeston, caught out 2,569 motorists in 2010 – 600 more than the next highest figure.

Of those, 921 paid £55,000 in fines and a further 1,257 paid a total of £106,000 to go on a speed awareness course.

Many motorists, including Blackburn Rovers players on their way to training, were trapped in Longsight Road in November and December when the limit changed from 40mph to 30mph and warning signs were hidden.

They have now been moved but dozens of those caught are appealing through the courts.

There has been no-one killed or seriously injured on Longsight Road since 2007.

The second-most tickets were issued from a camera in Rossendale Road, Burnley, with 1,900 people caught out.

Yesterday we spoke to residents, who said they weren't surprised at the total as the road used to be a 40mph limit before work started on Hameldon College a few years ago.

Other hotspots in East Lancashire include the A682 Manchester Road, near St Matthew Street, Burnley, which caught 567 speeders, and Manchester Road in Nelson, near Farrer St, which snared 244.

The A671 Market Street, Shawforth, trapped 385 motorists. They raised a combined £26,750 in fines.

East Lancashire’s least effective speed cameras are in Shear Brow, Blackburn, with only eight people caught, and Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, with only two people caught.

In total in Lancashire more than 25,000 tickets were issued in 2010 from fixed speed cameras, according to new figures released yesterday.

Lancashire County Council and the police have pledged to use the figures, published for the first time today by Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, to axe cameras which raise money but don’t reduce accident figures.

They had previously refused to release figures because of concerns that vandals would target cameras, as they have done in Blakewater Road, Blackburn.

Across the entire county, 49,825 people were caught speeding on fixed and mobile sites, with 21,809 fined and given points and 15,458 given speed awareness courses.

This coincides with Lancashire’s accident figures being at a 30-year low.

The cameras brought in £2.6m in 2010, the majority of which goes to central government.

The police receive £35 from every course. The Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety also gets a small percentage.

Lancashire’s Assistant Chief Constable Andy Rhodes, said: “Road safety cameras are intended to reduce the average speed of motorists on roads where there is evidence that speeding is an issue.

“We are committed to reducing the number of people killed and injured on the county’s roads and we will continue to use cameras to help us achieve this.”

Tim Ashton, the county council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Using cameras is just one of the ways we've been able to make our roads safer and reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured by more than 40 per cent in five years.”

In Lancashire there are 285 fixed safety camera sites.

East Lancashire top 10

1 A59 Longsight Road, Osbaldeston, 2589
2 A646 Rossendale Road, Burnley, 1901
3 A682 Manchester Road, Burnley, 567
4 A6119 Whitebirk Road. Blackburn, 396
5 A671 Market Street, Shawforth, 385
6 A666 Bolton Road (Longshaw Ln), Darwen, 345
7 A682 Manchester Road, Nelson, 244
8 A6114 Belvedere Road, Burnley, 222
9 A679 Hyndburn Road, Accrington, 211
10= A6114 Queen Victoria Road, Burnley, 190
10= B6447 Buncer Lane, Blackburn, 190.

Lancashire County Council top 10

1 A59 Longsight Road, Osbaldeston, 2589
2 A646 Rossendale Road, Burnley, 1901
3 A6 London Road, Preston 1767
4 A5029 Parbold Hill, Parbold, 1126
5 A6 Garstang Road, Preston, 808
6 A59 Guildway, Preston, 693
7 A6 Shepherds Way, Chorley, 648
8 Portway, Preston, 642
9 A5085 Blackpool Road, Preston, 632
10 A6 Bengal Street, Chorley, 627.

Blackburn with Darwen top 10

1 A6119 Whitebirk Road 396
2 A666 Bolton Road (Longshaw Ln) 345
3 B6447 Buncer Lane, 190
4 B6447 Stancliffe Street, 159
5 A666 Bolton Road (Swan St), 157
6 A678 Burnley Road, 129
7 A677 Copy Nook 125
8 A677 Barbara Castle Way, 106
9 A666 Whalley New Road, 76
10 A674 Preston Old Road, 67.

Click on the links below to see the full totals.