Drivers lose Tower speeding case

The bridge has a 20mph speed-limit

Thousands of drivers are facing fines of up to £150 for speeding on London's Tower Bridge.

Ruling on a test case, the High Court dismissed the defendants' challenge that the speed-limit signs on the bridge were not legal.

The lawyers for six motorists argued the signs were "not prescribed signs" as the thin border on them affected the drivers' visibility.

Nearly 10,000 summons were put on hold for the ruling, a city magistrate said.

The defendants broke the 20mph speed-limit in the area between June and August 2005.

Penalty points

Sir Igor Judge, president of the High Court's Queen's Bench Division, and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones ruled the defendants' cases were misconceived.

Sir Igor said the thin black border on the sign did not affect the visibility of the sign and therefore no regulation was breached.

"This is somewhat of a relief as the appeal was based entirely on a technicality that was utterly devoid of merit and should be dismissed," he added.

Sir Igor Judge agreed added the six motorists should pay £1,500 towards the prosecution's costs.

City magistrate Simon Walsh said: "About 10,000 summonses are waiting to be processed. They were put on hold pending these test cases which have been rambling on for well over a year."

He added that motorists breaking the speed restriction could now be fined between £100 and £150 and would get three penalty points on their driving licences.

All six motorists had appealed against speeding convictions and sentences imposed on them on various occasions at Marylebone Magistrates' Court.

They were Timothy Canadine, of Durham Road, Bromley, Kent; Barry Gardiner, of Longfield Close, Wickford, Essex and Simon Lipman, of Wordsworth Gardens, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

The others were Richard Pomerance, of Eastwood Road, Goodmayes, Ilford; Mark Rapley, of St Margaret's Road, Stanstead Abbots, near Ware, Hertfordshire and David Tyson, of Amwell Lane, Great Amwell, near Ware.