A PENSIONER and a wellknown disc jockey are among more than 30 motorists taking legal advice after receiving speeding tickets on the A66.

Hundreds of drivers were caught by a speed trap near the Long Newton junction, between Darlington and Middlesbrough, in April last year.

Pensioner Peter Vart was caught while driving his son and grandson back from a match between Middlesbrough and Manchester United, on April 6.

Former BBC Radio One presenter Mark Page was captured by the speed camera about the same time.

The motorists paid £60 fines and accepted three points on their licences.

However, they now want their money back and the points removed after other motorists caught in the same month were cleared of any wrongdoing.

In a test case earlier this year, about 50 motorists who pleaded not guilty to speeding either had their cases dropped, or were told they had no case to answer.

The drivers claimed that for about two months, the 50mph speed limit signs at the junction were in the wrong place, or absent completely.

Mr Page, who now runs Army radio station Garrison FM, at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, said: “I will be doing everything I can to return my licence to its clean state.

“I feel conned at being done for speeding, when quite obviously hundreds of other innocent motorists were not speeding at all, and complying with speed limits.

“Despite the major mistake by Cleveland Police, its agencies and the Crown Prosecution Service, there is nothing being done to put it right – the onus falls completely on the individual.”

Mr Vart, 71, of Darlington, also believes the speed limit sign was behind the speed camera when he got caught.

He said: “What peeves me the most is that I’ve been driving for 50 years without getting a ticket.

“I’m not a speedster – I only tootle about.”

More than 30 drivers have contacted Goodswens Solicitors asking for help after partner Tony Eastwood acted for several of the drivers cleared of speeding.

A spokesman for the firm said discussions about how to proceed were ongoing.