Motorists angered over foreign speeders

7:28am Tuesday 1st July 2008

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FURIOUS motorists today hit out at the legal system after it was revealed thousands of foreign drivers had escaped speeding tickets.

Drivers said they felt let down after hearing that 4,405 motorists licensed abroad did not pay up in 2007 in the Thames Valley area.

It is the second highest number of tickets for 15 out of the 39 police forces asked to provide the figures, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph found.

Only the Metropolitan Police recorded more unpaid fines - 9,041.

By contrast 75,248 motorists in Thames Valley had to pay up in 2006/07 - netting £4.5m.

This is up from 23,735 in 2004/05 - a year in which just £1.4m of fines were collected.

But the force said while there were "limitations" in pursuing drivers new powers would help crack down on unpaid fines.

Councillor Pauline Wilkinson, who represents Amersham on Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC), was handed three penalty points after being caught speeding by a mobile camera on Marlow Hill in 2005, when the speed limit was 30mph.

She said: "They get local people and you tell me they can't get foreign nationals? It is absolutely ridiculous - they need to try harder. They can get them for other things so why not speeding? They shouldn't just give up on them."

Property developer Waseem Quereshi, 43, who was given three points after being snapped in Station Road, Amersham, this year said: "They can't find foreign drivers to pay fines? Come on, something is going wrong."

Mr Quereshi, of Whitelands Road, High Wycombe, said: "We have taxes going through the roof and the last thing you want is for somebody to come along and rob you."

Dad-of-two Terry Tedman got a parking ticket from police for leaving his car on a verge by his house - only for council staff to park there to carry out a traffic survey.

Mr Tedman, 61, of West Wycombe Road, who parked on the verge when his drive was blocked, said: "It seems us law-abiding citizens get done and people who aren't get away with it."

Tony Blackmore, team leader for traffic management at BCC, said: "There is an exemption for local authority vehicles - but it has to be done carefully."

A statement from Thames Valley Police pointed out it was the second biggest force after the Metropolitan Police with "one of the largest speed enforcement networks".

It said: "Whilst there are limitations at present in being able to pursue these offences, there are moves nationally and internationally to tighten up the law and provide us with greater powers to deal with these matters."

The Road Safety Act 2006 will give police powers to demand deposits from drivers who officers believe do not live in the UK. This will be used to pay a penalty or will be returned to them, plus interest, if the driver wins their case in court. Those who do not pay face having their vehicle seized.

And the force said the new powers to be given to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency would help "obtain drivers' details from abroad".

The Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, which manages speed cameras, said it was "trying to limit the number of cases which we are unable to conclude" by targeting repeat offenders and checking foreign drivers.