A device which is catching 3,500 motorists a day breaking the limit on a 20mph Grange Road is not recognised by the Home Office.

The £35,000 Automated Number Plate Recognition machine paid for by the council flags up registration details  of motorists breaking the law.

The data  is shared with the police but they don’t have the resources to analyse the information quickly, if at all, it was revealed at the last Thornton Heath Community Action Team  meeting.

This means that the police could only use the information to warn law breakers and not issue fixed penalties.

Lack of enforcement of the new 20 mph speed limit  was also discusssed at the meeting which was attended by Cllr Stuart King, Croydon Cabinet member for Transport ,  who said ‘behaviour change takes time’  and that the effectiveness of the 20mph limit will be monitored by the council and police.

He assured residents that police do have powers to penalise motorists but, according to the Association of Chief Police Officers guidance fixed penalties are NOT given for breaches of 20mph.

He also fielded complaints from residents on Woodville Road about speeding and dangerous driving. One couple whose car has been hit so many times were moving as they were so fed up, the meeting heard.

He also revealed that during the past 12 months despite blatant flouting of parking regulations at the junction of Woodville Road and the High Street – only 130 parking tickets had been issued. Cllr King said there was insufficient funding for more patrols and CCTV can’t be used for parking offences only moving offences.