SIXTY-nine people were caught speeding by police in one hour on a stretch of road on Teesside as part of a summer clampdown.

The drivers were caught breaking the speed limit past roadworks on the A689 at Wynyard as police carried out a week-long speeding campaign on rural roads in Cleveland and Durham during August.

The clampdown caught 357 people during the week - an average of 51 speeding drivers each day.

Between 2011 and 2013 there were 2,024 collisions on rural roads with a speed limit of 60mph or 70mph in Cleveland and Durham and 51 people were killed.

Police said the drivers at Wynyard were putting road workers at risk of injury or death.

One person was recorded travelling at 57mph in the temporary 30mph limit, while road workers were present, and close to the carriageway.

Chief Inspector Mick Robson, acting head of the Cleveland and Durham road policing unit, said: "It is alarming that 357 people would put their lives, the lives of their passengers and the lives of other road users in danger by exceeding the speed limit.

"We repeat our warnings time and time again but still there are a minority of people who are prepared to risk suffering serious or fatal injuries on our roads due to excessive speed.

“Putting the lives of innocent road workers at risk is also unacceptable.

"These people are just doing their job and trying to earn a living and they want to return home to their family after their shift."

Since 2008, nine road workers have been killed in collisions across the UK. In 2013 alone, ten road workers suffered serious injuries, although thankfully none were fatally injured.