THE row over the North-East detective who escaped a speeding ticket after being flashed by roadside cameras intensified last night when it emerged two drivers had tried the same defence.

While one was convicted, the other saw the charge dropped.

Businessman Martin Nichols told traffic police he could not be sure which of his staff was driving his company's car when it was flashed.

The car, a Renault Laguna, was filmed by speed cameras in Bishopton Road, Stockton, exceeding the 30mph limit - less than a mile away from Yarm Road where Detective Superintendent Adrian Roberts, head of CID at Middlesbrough police station, saw his speeding ticket written off after claiming he too could not remember who was driving his car.

Last night, Mr Nichols, a director of Carpenters Paint and Wallpapers, of Darlington, said he had explained to police that he had no record of who was driving the car, which six people are insured to use.

The car had been flashed by a camera at 1pm on May 23 with a fixed penalty ticket issued by police just under a month later.

The photographic evidence which Mr Nichols asked for proved inconclusive and he was eventually told in a letter that no further action would be taken.

Mr Nichols said: "The car was five mph over the limit and in my view that is not excessive.

"It may have been regarded as a waste of police time to pursue this any further."

But Malcolm Duck, of Stockton, tried the same defence when his car was flashed going 10mph faster than the speed limit in the same speed trap where Det Supt Roberts car was filmed.

The family said they could not sure who was driving their Citroen ZX because three of them made a series of trips helping a friend move house.

The appeal failed and his wife was fined as the owner of the vehicle.

However, Mr Duck supported Cleveland's decision to drop the speeding ticket against Mr Roberts. "I just think we should have the same treatment," he said

A Cleveland Police spokesman said: "Each case is dealt with on its merits."