New figures show that Staffordshire drivers might get away with breaking speeding regulations due to speed cameras not working.

Drivers in the county have a 95 per cent chance of escaping a fine, as just 14 of the 272 cameras work at any one time.

A freedom of information request sent to Staffordshire Police revealed that just five per cent of the yellow machines monitor motorists at any one time.

On a country-wide scale, 52 per cent of the 2,838 fixed cameras are keeping an eye on the speed of drivers, however nine forces failed to provide the data was asked by our sister title, the Stoke Sentinel .

Barbara Andrews, the co-ordinater for Hartshill Speedwatch, a road safety campaign group in Staffordshire, said: "I had no idea this was the situation. There must be a reason for this but I don’t know what it could be.

"I'm disappointed to learn that relatively few of our speed cameras are functional. The reason behind them is to deter people from speeding and motorists need to know the cameras are actually operating.

"It will undermine public confidence if people know the cameras are not working. I am puzzled by it."

Barrie Harrington, a campaigner who volunteers with Normacot Speedwatch added: "I was surprised by this news because I thought it would be a good idea to keep the cameras running.

20 is plenty is a road safety scheme out of schools in Staffordshire
20 is plenty is a road safety scheme out of schools in Staffordshire

"The greater the awareness of people breaking the speed limit the more a deterrent it would be.

"People notice the cameras and start to check their speed. They might then speed up but the camera is still on the back of their mind."

Of the 36 police forces across the country who responded to the freedom of information requests, five per cent of working cameras in Staffordshire was ranked as the fifth lowest.

Only Cleveland, Durham, North Yorkshire and Northamptonshire, who each have zero working cameras, recorded a lower percentage than Staffordshire.

Just 14 of the 272 speed cameras in Staffordshire work at any one time
Just 14 of the 272 speed cameras in Staffordshire work at any one time

It was revealed earlier in 2017 that the most prolific static camera in North Staffordshire is in King Street, Newcastle, where 1,034 motorists were caught between October 2015 and September 2016.

Speed cameras in the area are the responsibility of Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership, who have defended the decision to only operate some of the machines.

Talking on behalf of the partnership, Helen Fisher, the cabinet member for highways at Staffordshire County Council said: "We use a range of initiative to help keep our roads safe and address poor driving behaviour.

"These include driver education programmes, community speed watch schemes and school based campaigns like '20 is plenty'.

"We also use a range of enforcement measures through the partnership including static, mobile and average speed cameras."

President of AA, Edmund King said that the high number of inactive cameras is due to the tight pressure on budgets.

Mr King said: "Many of the empty yellow cases are due to cuts in road safety grants and the fact that digital cameras, although more effective, are very expensive.

"It is also reflective of the fact that proceeds from cameras are no longer allowed to be ring-fenced to be reinvested into yet more cameras as all the money goes to the treasury."