PROSECUTORS have dropped the cases against 50 motorists who denied speeding on the A66.

The decision has prompted calls for officials to clear hundreds of drivers who had admitted the offence.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says it will not pursue motorists who denied speeding at the Long Newton junction, between Darlington and Middlesbrough, from April 1 to 11, last year.

The decision followed a judge’s ruling that more than 20 drivers who appeared in two test cases had no case to answer.

During the trials, District Judge Martin Walker said he could not be sure that temporary 50mph warning signs were in place in front of a mobile speed camera at the junction.

Tony Eastwood represented several motorists during the test cases.

He said there were many lessons for the CPS and police to learn from the hearings, and said: “I regret that so much public time and public money has been expended in dealing with many cases which appear to have been fundamentally and patently weak from the very beginning.”

Mr Eastwood said he had been inundated with calls from motorists who pleaded guilty after they were caught by the camera.

He said he would fight for them to get their £60 fines back and have the points removed from their licenses.

In total, more than 750 motorists were caught by the camera in 11 days.

Zoe Bowman, of Earl Close, Darlington, was photographed at 58mph on April 3, last year.

The 29-year-old said she paid the fine because her husband was undergoing brain surgery at the time, but now wants her money back.

She said: “If there were 50mph signs up, I would not have been driving over that limit.”

Last night, the CPS it had been satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction in the cases.

However, a spokesman said: “We took into account the observations of the district judge and concluded that it was no longer in the public interest to pursue certain offences.”

Motorists caught speeding at the junction after April 11, last year, could still face trial.

Several vehicle owners cleared of speeding could still face court action for failing to give information to police.