Thousands of pounds in speeding fines have been wiped out after two bungles on the same stretch of carriageway.

Northumbria Police have been forced to pay back almost £7,000 in fines after issuing tickets with the wrong date.

In another incident, a prankster caused confusion on the same stretch of the road on the Team Valley trading estate in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, after illegally putting up a 40mph sign.

Police chiefs have vowed to hand back what could be thousands more to unsuspecting motorists . The real speed limit on the stretch is 30mph.

A police spokeswoman said she could not say how many were caught by the illegal sign but it could have been hundreds.

On one day alone more than 100 motorists were caught on the estate's Dukesway by the rogue sign.

Police believe a prankster was responsible for erecting the small sign sometime between October 19 and November 7 last year.

And in a separate incident bungling cops were to blame after issuing speeding tickets with the wrong date.

Northumbria Police officers staked out the same stretch armed with a mobile speed camera on October 8.

Fines were doled out to speeding motorists clocked at exceeding the 30mph limit.

But the tickets were printed with the next day's date.

Even though the drivers were speeding, police chiefs have been forced to withdraw the fines.

A total of 111 motorists were caught which - at £60 a fine - amounts to £6,660.

Penalty points on their licences have also been rescinded.

A police spokesman said: "A batch of tickets issued on this part of the road on October 8 has been withdrawn because of a technical error on the camera which produced tickets bearing the next day's date.

"Anyone who was affected by this has already been informed and we have apologised to those drivers concerned for any inconvenience this may have caused.

"Anyone who hadn't responded was written to and told no further action would be taken; anyone who has already paid the £60 fixed penalty fine and received three points has been asked to return their driving licence so that the points can be removed and the money returned as soon as possible.

"It also appears that at some time between 19th October 2003 and 7th November 2003 someone acquired a single 40mph repeater sign and put it up on one side of the road. This was removed by police on November 7.

"Although it was not a lawful sign, any speeding offences which were recorded within this period will be retracted as we recognise it could have been confusing to motorists."