A CRIME boss in an area where motorists are being hammered by a speeding blitz escaped a ticket after claiming he "couldn't remember" whether he was driving or not.

Det Supt Adrian Roberts of Cleveland Police received the ticket through the post after his white Citroen AX was filmed exceeding the 30mph limit on Yarm Road, Stockton on April 8.

Cleveland Police is one of eight forces nationally to pilot a scheme in which thousands more motorists are fined with some of the resulting income being used to fund cameras and the cost of prosecution.

The scheme has seen a fourfold increase in prosecutions with up to 3,000 motorists a month caught and fines totalling £lm a year.

The Yarm Road stretch has become notorious locally as one in which eagle-eyed cameras are placed.

Within a month of his car being filmed speeding, a fixed penalty ticket was sent to the home of Det Supt Roberts, the head of the CID at Middlesbrough police station. The ticket gave him the option of accepting a £60 fine plus three penalty points or pleading not guilty to the charge.

Instead, he wrote to his colleague in Cleveland Police, Supt Graham Cummings, in the Administration of Justice Department, claiming he "couldn't remember" if he had been driving the car on the Sunday morning in question.

Supt Cummings then met with Det Supt Roberts and, after deciding the photograph did not clearly identify his fellow officer as the driver of the Citroen, the ticket was written off.

Sources say there appear to have been no inquiries made as to how many other people were insured to drive Mr Roberts' private car - something which would be normal practice.

There the matter may have rested, except some members of the Cleveland force were so angry at the apparent "cosy deal" they complained to head of traffic Chief Supt Jeff Evans.

Chief Supt Evans then raised the matter with the head of force discipline, Asst Chief Con. Della Canning, who is examining the whole affair.

A senior officer said: "There in real anger within the force and in particular the traffic department at what has gone on.

"Many members of the public feel aggrieved at the hard-line the force takes with speeders but this is justified by the reduction in accidents.

"But for a fairly senior officer to be treated in this way smacks of a cosy deal being done. It smacks of one rule for the police and one for the public. "It is ridiculous to suggest an officer of Supt rank in unable to recall what he was doing on a Sunday just a few weeks earlier. His pocket note book would say where he was if he was working and if he was on a day off then he must remember what he was doing.

"There appear to have been no questions asked such an who else was insured to drive the car and whether they could recall what they were doing. "The matter should have been pursued and if Supt Roberts wanted to fight the case a court could have decided the outcome. That in most probably what would have happened to a member of the public."

Det Supt Roberts, 36, is a high profile officer within the Cleveland force. A graduate entry into the force, he is viewed an a high flyer and has worked within the traffic department himself.

He replaced Zero Tolerance pioneer Supt Ray "Robocop" Mallon as crime manager at Middlesbrough and has fronted several anti-crime drives.

But yesterday both Supt Roberts and ACC Canning remained silent, refusing to discuss the matter.

Confirming the incident, force press officer Charlie Westburg said: "An officer did receive a speeding ticket earlier this year and following representations that ticket was withdrawn.

"The officer corresponded in his capacity as a private citizen, an many motorists do, with no reference being made to his status as a police officer.

"In the light of the issue being raised the matter will be reviewed."

The force refused to answer any other questions relating to the incident.