Speeding drivers 'escaping fines'

The RAC says there should be more traffic police officers

Less than half of drivers caught on camera speeding or jumping a red light in London actually pay their fines.

Figures from the London Safety Camera Partnership obtained by BBC London show the majority of speeding drivers are never tracked down by police.

As a result police and traffic authorities are missing out on millions of pounds which could be spent on improving the capital's roads.

But the RAC say speed cameras should be replaced by traffic police officers.

The RAC's Paul Hodgson said: "What motorists tell us is that if you are looking to improve driver behaviour, more and more speed cameras don't seem to have a notable effect.

'Cloned number plates'

"But what they do say is that more traffic police on the road would improve their behaviour."

The figures reveal that although nearly half a million vehicles were caught on camera speeding in the last 12 months, only 118,168 drivers that were given a fixed penalty notice, paid a £60 fine.

Only 5,599 were successfully dealt with by magistrates.

It was also found that only 1700 investigations were carried out by the Met into those that did not pay fines last year.

The Met said the figures were only raw data and could not be confirmed.

It also said so many are getting away without paying fines due to having cloned number plates and cars being incorrectly registered with the DVLA.