A POLICE blunder means 34 motorists have escaped speeding fines.

They were clocked breaking a 40mph speed limit by an officer using a speed gun.

However, prosecution letters were sent out and wrongly stated the road had a limit of 30mph, rendering the letters invalid.

The drivers were caught exceeding the limit in Witham Road, Cressing , on November 4.

Robin Poulter, of Warren Road, Braintree, who was clocked going 48mph, said: “The copper who did it was on a motorbike in a residential driveway.

“They got it totally wrong. The sign saying 40mph is only a few yards away.”

A week after receiving the prosecution notice, Mr Poulter received a second letter saying there was wrong information concerning the location speed.

The letter said: “The proceedings against the driver of your vehicle will not continue.”

An Essex Police spokesman said it has withdrawn the offences due to a clerical error.

Kevin Brown, of the Safer Roads Bureau, said: "The people who received letters should consider this a warning about their driving behaviour.

”I hope they will think about the possible consequences and in future drive with consideration and within the speed limits."