A SPEED trap on a country road raked in £7,500 in three hours - catching law-breaking drivers at a rate of one every 86 seconds.

The temporary camera caught 125 drivers out of 1,200 on Elwick Road, Hartlepool, following complaints from residents about speeding drivers.

When the trap was set up a further four times on the road, another 213 were caught, bringing the total revenue for 18 hours to just under £20,000.

Last night, it emerged that money gained on the initiative will be spent on more cameras and speed reduction schemes in the Cleveland Police area.

The Cleveland Safety Camera Partnership (CSCP) plans to add eight sites to the 42 roads already covered by its scheme.

Mick Bennett, of the CSCP, said: "The only time you hear of people complaining is after they have been caught - but I'm sorry, I don't have a lot of sympathy.

"We are not there to catch people, but to slow people down and make sure the roads become safer."

The move came as Durham Police said they would not join a partnership like other forces.

Chief Constable Paul Garvin said that fining "otherwise law-abiding motorists" would alienate them and damage relations between police and the public.

His stance was described as "a breath of fresh air" by the AA, who said: "Nobody is advocating speeding, but there has to be some sensitivity."

Tony Vickers, of the Association of British Drivers, said: "Trained traffic patrols in accident blackspots would target those people really driving dangerously far more effectively than cameras which merely nail people for exceeding the speed limit."