MOTORISTS in the West Mercia area paid out just over £3m in fines after being caught speeding by safety cameras during the last year.

The figure is up on the previous year but camera chiefs say the reason for this is because more cameras have been sited.

According to the Safety Camera Partnership, which manages the cameras, in 2004/5 mobile and static cameras generated a total £3,095,000 - though this figure has yet to be audited - compared with £3,086,000 in the year 2003/4.

Trevor McAvoy, manager of the partnership, said: "Between those years the number of sites that we have operated both static and mobile cameras has approximately doubled.

"That reflects the dramatic reduction in speeding and offending when we start operating in a particular place."

At present, the partnership operates around 100 static and mobile cameras sites in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shrop-shire. Worcester's first static camera appeared on City Walls Road in April 2003. Now there are six static sites in the city.

Mr McAvoy said in the last few weeks there have been an average of just 10 speeding offences a day on City Walls Road.

He said: "A large number of these are emergency vehicles on genuine emergency runs."

Mr McAvoy also pointed out that before the partnership began monitoring City Walls Road, 50 per cent of vehicles were exceeding the speed limit with 1.3 per cent doing so by more than 15mph.

He said: "Speeding has been virtually eradicated on City Walls Road."

On New Road, which has a Vehicle Activated Sign, sited just before the camera, which reminds speeding motorist of the 30mph limit, the number of offences over the past few weeks stands at around 25 per day.

Prior to the camera's siting, Mr McAvoy said 88 per cent of vehicles broke the speed limit while 11 per cent did so by more than 15mph.

He said: "It's enormously better - but still not good enough."