Motorists wrongly fined for ‘speeding’ after clerical error

A POLICE force has admitted it has incorrectly fined “speeding” motorists after a clerical error meant the speed limit was never officially lowered.

Avon and Somerset Police face having to cancel hundreds of tickets after a motorist successfully overturned his fine.

Chris Waites stepped in to help a friend who had been fined for breaching the 30mph speed limit on the A378 in Five head, Somerset.

He realised that the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), used to lower the speed limit from 40mph in 2015, had incorrectly referred to an adjoining road as Church Road. In fact, the road was unnamed on all local maps.

Therefore the speed limit was never legally lowered to 30mph – meaning hundreds or even thousands of motorists have been wrongly fined over the last three years.

Avon and Somerset Police has now cancelled all outstanding tickets, and is seeking legal advice on fines that have already been paid.

Mr Waites said: ““If I noticed it, then the council and police should have picked it up.”