LAW-BREAKING drivers have been caught on camera driving at more than double the speed limit through green traffic lights at a busy Poole junction.

Johnny Stephens, Dorset’s Safety Camera Partnership’s head of fixed penalties, told the Daily Echo how speeds of 68mph and 65mph had been recorded at the Holes Bay Road junction with Sterte Road.

Urging motorists to slow down, he said: “The Speed on Green cameras are acting as a deterrent, however the speed of vehicles travelling through the busy traffic light junctions remains high.”

As well as speedsters, the cameras have captured footage of a vehicle travelling towards Poole at 40mph which narrowly avoided hitting a pedestrian trying to cross the road.

Mr Stephens said: “On this occasion the incident was a near miss; however in the future we may not be so lucky.”

He added that there were no plans to bring in Speed on Green cameras to other parts of Dorset, despite the successful trial in Poole.

Although they won’t say how many motorists have been caught exceeding the 30mph speed limit, speed camera chiefs say the two cameras in Poole which each cover a different direction, have forced motorists to reduce their speed slightly.

Drivers caught speeding through the green lights, which began operating in July, have landed themselves with a £60 fine and three penalty points.

The majority of vehicles detected have been registered locally with 20 motorists caught speeding twice and three detected flouting the law three times.

During July the average speed of vehicles detected travelling above the speed limit reduced from over 41mph to 39mph.

The Partnership stressed that drivers must reduce their speed to within the 30mph limit to prevent serious collisions.