Drivers demand refunds as nation’s busiest speed camera issues faulty fines

Successful challenge in court to technology glitch that could ‘ruin lives’ may bring further legal action

BRITAIN’S busiest speed camera may have been incorrectly issuing fines for years, as driving groups call on officials to offer refunds.

Authorities could face a deluge of challenges after two prosecutions were withdrawn by Hampshire Police when vehicles were wrongly snapped by the camera on Maybray King Way, a busy dual carriageway in Southampton.

The camera caught 51,049 people driving over the 30mph limit between 2015 and 2017 and was triggered 70 times a day over that period, racking up an estimated £5million in fines.

Two drivers have proved they were incorrectly penalised. Nathan Thompson, 37, an NHS IT engineer, received a letter accusing him of driving at 52mph in August, despite his motorhome passing the camera at 25mph. “This was hard to believe, there was no one else on the road, it was about 11.40pm,” said the father-of-two, who successfully fought the case and saw it dropped.

“If I didn’t have the evidence I was going 25mph it would have ended up in court. I’d have lost my job. That technology has the potential to ruin lives.”

Harley Golder, a delivery driver, said he was recorded as driving at 49mph, despite travelling at 24mph. “I received a notice stating I was caught speeding at 49mph in a 30mph zone (dashcam states I’m doing 24mph),” he wrote on Facebook in February.

“If I had just accepted the ticket it would likely be six points on my licence for inaccurate equipment. This could [have] caused me to be sacked from my essential job as a delivery driver.”

The email sent by police officers advised Mr Golder they were “aware” of the issue. and “[trying] to ensure such errors do not occur but unfortunately this was missed”. Now drivers’ groups have called for the police to ensure that hundreds of other motorists have not been wrongly penalised.

Hugh Bladon, from the Alliance of British Drivers, said: “Every driver, regardless of what speed he has been shown doing by this camera, should have their fine refunded and any points removed.

“If people, as a result of this camera, have to do a speed awareness course, that should be refunded, together with compensation, for the time that the person has had to spend completing it.”

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “With increased commercial tracking and recording of journeys through onboard telematics, including speeds, road enforcement authorities need to make sure their equipment is accurate all the time.

“If not, and more speeding tickets are successfully challenged, there is a danger that the nearly 80 per cent public approval of speed cameras will be undermined.”