AN organisation operating speed cameras in North Wales will have to repay motorists more than £68,000 in fines after signs at a roadworks were placed at the wrong spot.

Altogether 1,136 motorists were caught by cameras at the temporary speed trap on the A483 near Wrexham. It is not known whether any of the drivers, who had three points put on their driving licences, were disqualified from driving under the totting-up rule.

The mix-up is an embarrassment for the Arrive Alive organisation, which operates the speed cameras on behalf of the local authorities in conjunction with North Wales Police. Richard Brunstrom, the Chief Constable, has a reputation as the scourge of speeding drivers, whom he once described as “antisocial yobs”. In turn motorists have accused his force of using speed cameras as a cynical means of raising cash.Road traffic contractors had asked for the temporary speed camera on the northbound lanes of the A483 to slow traffic and protect workers at the site.

An officer working for the Arrive Alive partnership identified that the signage had been placed outside the provisions of the traffic order guidelines between October 6 and 28 last year and was illegal.

A spokeswoman for Arrive Alive said: “We will be writing to drivers to explain. We do not know until drivers respond to these letters if anyone was prosecuted under the totting-up procedure. The entire legal process has been put in the hands of the police external solicitors.”

• Dozens of motorists could escape punishment for speeding because they were served with wrongly worded legal forms.Magistrates in Norwich have so far dismissed cases against four drivers because documents from the police did not say they were issued on behalf of the chief constable.

  The Crown Prosecution services acted last week after the first cases were thrown out. They told the courts that they would seek adjournments so that fresh forms could be printed. But magistrates refused to adjourn two more cases this week, forcing prosecutors to offer no evidence.

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