Hundreds of A20 motorists 'wrongly fined' over south London road sign 'error'

Hundreds of motorists are said to have been wrongly fined on a stretch of road in south-east London after a "poorly signposted" new speed limit was introduced, according to a lawyer who is fighting their corner.

But thousands of speeding tickets are believed to have been issued to motorists who have driven along the stretch, unaware of the change.

Chartered legal executive Dominic Smith, director at traffic solicitors firm Patterson Law, is calling for the fines to be overturned.

He says the 40mph signs were "small", while a "rogue 50mph sign" placed on the stretch also misled drivers.

The Met police is investigating who erected the 50mph sign, which it is treating as a potential crime. But it claims it would not have led to extra speeding tickets in the area, which is covered by an average speed camera.

Meanwhile TfL, which is responsible for signage, says the 40mph signs are compliant with regulations.

Mr Smith told the Standard he has been inundated with messages from drivers who feel they have been wrongly fined.

He understands around 62,000 fines have been issued along the stretch of road since mid-December, though police have not been able to confirm the figure.