Speed cameras in the Canterbury district raked in more than £1million in fines between 2002 and 2007, it has been revealed.

Figures released by the Home Offfice show that 18,136 fixed penalty notices were issued over the six years.

There are just two fixed cameras in Canterbury - one in Pin Hill on the city ring road and the other at the bottom of St Martin’s Hill.

A third camera in Sturry Road was removed two years ago because it recorded very few offences due to traffic congestion.

But there are five mobile cameras sites, visited by a speed camera van, on the Old Thanet Way at Swalecliffe; Honey Hill, Blean; Canterbury Road, Herne; the A2 at Dunkirk and Mickleburgh Hill, Herne Bay.

Foreign drivers escape speeding fines

The number of tickets peaked in 2004 in Canterbury when 4,310 offences were recorded.

The lowest was in 2006 with 1,522 tickets but last year it rose to 2,369.

The Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership (KMSCP), which administers speed camera enforcement across the county, says fewer tickets have been issued so far this year because some offenders are being offered a “speed awareness course” instead of a penalty.

There are 77 fixed speed cameras and 50 mobile sites across Kent which collected £2.8 million in fines from motorists in 2007.

But a request under the Freedom of Information Act for the figures on how many people are caught by individual cameras has been rejected by the KMSCP.

A spokesman said: “It could be argued that the release of this information would ensure drivers adhere to the speed limit at some sites if they know there is a high risk of capture.

“However, individuals could become complacent at other camera locations if they feel the chances of being caught are relatively low.”

The money paid in fines goes directly to the Government which then gives a large chunk back to the partnership for road safety projects.