MOTORISTS were issued with almost £30,000 worth of fines in less than five hours after 285 vehicles were caught speeding on the A417 near Cirencester.

The Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership's speed detection van recorded all of the vehicles exceeding the speed limit during five visits to Dartley Bottom last month, that’s an average of 57 per visit.

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points so this is equivalent to £28,500 in speeding fines – although motorists can opt to attend a speed awareness course for £72.50 instead.

The van at Dartley Bottom caught the highest number of speeding motorists out of the six locations set up across the county, more than three times the 85 caught in Newbarn Lane, Cheltenham, which was the second highest.

Each visit by the van to Dartley Bottom lasted between 45 minutes and an hour, police said.

The high level of speeding recorded on this stretch of the A417 has led to the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership carrying out a scientific study with all relevant parties to improve safety for road users.

Speeds of between 115mph and 126mph were recorded at Dartley Bottom between April 2013 and May, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) revealed earlier this year.

The speed limit on this stretch of road, near Perrotts Brook and Middle Duntisbourne, is 70mph.

Rob Vestey, from the Road Safety Partnership, said: “This stretch of road has the five highest recorded vehicle speeds in Gloucestershire on a fast road with no hard shoulder.

“The Road Safety Partnership has commenced a multi-agency problem profile on this road to try to improve safety for road users.”

The priority locations for Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership's mobile speed detection vans have been released for November.

They are:

• Coleford Road, Bream

• Fancy Road, Parkend

• Perrygrove, Coleford

• Picklenash, Newent

• A4136 Brierley

• A48 Woolaston