Police in Staffordshire speed 15 times a day

Police officers across Staffordshire are breaking the speed limit 15 times a day, figures reveal today.

There was a total of 5,324 cases in which officers were snapped by speed cameras across the county between April last year and the end of March this year – almost 1,000 more than in 2010/11.

It has led to the force introducing "education initiatives" to reaffirm to officers the policy of using blue lights.

In total, there were 4,392 cases in which officers were snapped speeding across the county in 2010/11 and a further 4,543 the previous year.

The force said it could not provide details of how many officers were prosecuted because that information was exempt from public documents.

However, Supt Philip Bladen, head of the professional standards department, said the majority of speed camera activations by officers were "justified" and the drivers were legally exempt from prosecution.

"When the activation is not justified Staffordshire Police takes the matter very seriously and the driver is dealt with as any other motorist would be," he said.

"If the speed falls within the threshold they are offered a speed awareness diversion course but if in excess of this threshold the driver is prosecuted.

"Police officers regularly respond to emergency incidents and therefore it is inevitable that sometimes safety cameras are activated. Staffordshire Police maintains accurate records of such occasions and scrutinises each one carefully."

Nick Scarlett, development officer at the road safety charity Brake, welcomed the force's efforts to tackle speeding. He said: "Breaking the speed limit is always dangerous, so driving over the speed limit should always be a last resort taken only in extreme cases to protect life at crime scenes."