A STAGGERING 1,442 drivers have been caught speeding on Bolton's roads over the last THREE weeks.

And 1,153 of the motorists netted in the police crackdown are today facing prosecution.

The figure is one of the highest ever caught in a road safety crackdown on the town's roads.

The number of drivers caught flouting the speed limits on local roads has astonished police chiefs.

Sgt Barry Fairclough of the Bolton Police Traffic Unit, said: "The fact that on average we were catching 70 drivers a day reflects on the could-not-care-less attitude of Bolton's motorists."

The crackdown was part of a national initiative launched by police forces throughout Britain in conjunction with Government transport chiefs.

Of the 1,442 drivers stopped in Bolton only 289 were warned. The rest face automatic fixed penalty tickets.

A total of 947 drivers were "caught" on speed detection cameras ignoring the restrictions. The cameras and police operated laser video equipment were sited on roads considered to be, or thought possible, accident blackspots.

Sgt Fairclough said despite repeated police warnings of the dangers of speed it appears Bolton's motorists are "not learning."

"We have not just concentrated on speeding offences over the last three weeks. Our normal work has continued as it always will. That makes the number even more surprising."

He added: "The initiative reinforces the message that more needs to be done. Drivers in Bolton must learn that our efforts to ensure that our qroads are safe for all road users will continue."

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