Police refund £88,000 fines to drivers caught by dodgy camera as they say vandals moved it out of line - but motorists believe more offences should be quashed

Nearly 900 motorists are being refunded £88,000 in fines after a vandalised speed camera wrongly caught them for speeding.

The speed camera on the 50mph zone of the A338 in Bournemouth was found by Dorset Police to be 'out of alignment.

' This meant the devices that covers the average speed limit zone of the A338 may have 'breached Home Office approval parameters'. 

The police blame vandals for moving the camera and have contacted 844 motorists who were wrongly caught on the cameras between November 7 and December 16 2023.  

Those drivers who have paid their £100 fine or the £120 for a speed awareness course are being refunded and those who incurred penalty points will have them deducted. 

Dorset Police has apologised to affected motorists.

(Jade Graham, 35, is not one of the 844 motorists who have had their fine overturned. But she is campaigning to have the three speeding offences she received in two months in 2022 overturned)

(The speed camera is found on the 50mph zone of the A338 in Bournemouth)

(The police blame vandals for moving the camera and it was found to be 'out of alignment.' This meant the devices that cover the average speed limit zone of the A338 may have 'breached Home Office approval parameters'.)

(Dorset Police sent a letter to the motorists affecting apologising for any inconvenience and informing them the offence has been cancelled.)

However, hundreds of campaigners claim the speed cameras along the A338 have not been working properly for much longer than the five week period identified by Dorset Police. 

These campaigners are disputing speeding fines received in 2022 and 2023.

One woman said she had set her cruise control to 50mph but a camera reported her as doing 58mph, which she disputed.

(Ms Graham said she paid the first two fines but when the third arrived she challenged it in court, believing the cameras were faulty. Despite the magistrates being sympathetic to her argument, they fined her £1,000 as she could not provide 'concrete evidence' that there was an issue with the cameras)

(Hundreds of campaigners claim the speed cameras along the A338 have not been working properly for much longer than the five week period identified by Dorset Police. These campaigners are disputing speeding fines received in 2022 and 2023)

(Dorset Police have informed the 844 people wrongly fined)

In 2011, more than 24,500 motorists were refunded nearly £1.5m in fines after it was found a speed camera had been operating illegally along the busy A35 at Chideock, Dorset, for 10 years.

Ref:  Police refund £88,000 fines to drivers caught by dodgy camera as they say vandals moved it out of line - but motorists believe more offences should be quashed  (dailymail)

 Photo Credit:  BNPS