A PEDMORE woman convicted of speeding before a 50mph limit was offically enforced is urging other motorists who fell foul of the speed cameras to demand compensation.

Helen Edwards describes herself as one of the “unfortunate motorists” caught speeding on the stretch of the A491 between Hagley and Fairfield in 2008.

The road had been under a 60mph limit since 1993 but in 2002 Worcestershire County Council introduced a 50mph limit on a section of the road near Belbroughton.

However in April this year, The News revealed that a review by West Mercia Safer Roads Partnership found the original 60mph order was never amended to reflect the change for that part of the road due to a technical error on the county council’s part.

When Miss Edwards was caught by a mobile speed camera doing 57mph, she received a £60 fine, three penalty points and an increase on her insurance premiums for three years.

She immediately contacted the county council and West Mercia Police after finding out about the error, asking for her conviction to be revoked and her fine and increased insurance premiums to be compensated but she was left unsatisfied with the response.

A joint statement from Worcestershire County Council and the Safer Roads Partnership said: “A 50mph limit was in force on the road and was signed.

“The lady accepted a fine and penalty points for exceeding it. As the county council is not the enforcement authority, any queries regarding enforcement should be directed to West Mercia Police.”

However West Mercia Police has investigated the legal position with regard to historical speeding offences at this site and found there is no legal obligation to refund any fines imposed.

Undeterred, Miss Edwards added: “I’m not going to let it lie, someone is responsible. As far as I’m concerned, the county council is responsible for not getting the correct permission and allowing them to police that road when it was not legally enforcable and they are responsible for the increase in my insurance premiums.

“The police are responsible for refunding my £60 fixed penalty notice and clearing my record. Althought the three penalty points are off my licence, they are still on my record.”

She has also pursued West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner Bill Longmore to get his stance on the issue but said: “He has completely ignored my email.”

When contacted by the News, Mr Longmore said he was not prepared to comment as it was an “operational issue”.

Miss Edwards is now looking to other motorists who received speeding convictions to demand someone takes responsibility: She said: “I would encourage people to write specifically to the county council as they are the ones responsible for this in the first place. They knew the limit that was put on that road wasn’t legal.”