IT'S WEIRD that so much anger, effort and emotion has been poured in to the saga of a speed camera site. Yes, Marlow Hill in High Wycombe has become the oddest campaign of my career as editor.

I was unable, despite massive backing, to save our hospital services. But, last week, I managed to pull off a great victory in the far less important matter of revealing speeding fine figures on the hill.

After almost two years' of effort, we won a battle to find out how many motorists have been nabbed on the notorious stretch. And the result, as published in the last week's Bucks Free Press, was stunning.

Around 21,000 drivers have been fined in the last four years - and about £1.2million has been raised.

The Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership had consistently refused to give us these details on the grounds it would compromise road safety by allowing motorists to work out where it was safe to speed.

The partnership, an amalgam of various local authorities, was backed by the Information Commissioner when we appealed under the Freedom of Information laws.

So, we appealed against the commissioner himself to the Information Tribunal. I never expected to win this because we were up against a London barrister, and I chose no legal representation for myself.

But win we did, and the partnership had to hand over the figures.

Last week's story won us loads of messages of congratulation. But one reader called our reception and said they would never buy the Bucks Free Press again as a result.

That's regrettable, but I am afraid a myth may have arisen that I am encouraging speeding and am anti- cameras. I am not, so I'd like to take this chance to explain.

The request for fine figures on the hill was originally my idea in early 2005. I had read so many stories of people being nicked there that I thought that the revenue figures may give an interesting headline.

I never expected this request to be refused, and so it became a battle over secrecy.

I think speed cameras generally do a good job in deterring reckless drivers. Where Marlow Hill is different, though, is that the uphill mobile police camera is sited just 56.8 metres from where the 30mph limit changes to 40mph. The siting undermines the good work done by other cameras.

The whole argument descended to farce recently when the county council decided the 30mph limit was inappropriate at the bottom of the hill and agreed to raise it to 40mph. Now, my critics will say that's irrelevant. Anyone choosing to go over 30mph must accept they broke the law and be punished.

I've mused on this point a lot as I've wondered whether or not we've overestimated the importance of this campaign.

But, on a couple of occasions recently, I've gone out to give talks to large numbers of elderly people in various local organisations.

When I mention Marlow Hill, it's always the same. I find angry law-abiding motorists who have had their driving records tarnished by Marlow Hill after decades of having a clean licence.

To be caught speeding was once a great embarrassment. Well-known local movers and shakers would never admit to getting a fine, because it would make them a pariah in the circles they moved in. But now everyone has been fined and some have even been banned. It ceases to matter so much, and you find the respectable citizens are now as intent on dodging the system as are the shady law-breaking drivers.

That's because they have lost faith with the system. And when breaking the law ceases to be a matter of shame, then we all have to worried. When the good guys lose the will to stick by the rules, it should be a matter of serious concern for society.

That's why the Marlow Hill speed camera site matters so much. And that's why two years' of campaigning was genuinely worth it.

For the record, I haven't had a speeding fine - yet .