DRIVERS could face an increase in speed cameras after police hailed a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on North-East roads.

Cleveland Police said that deaths and serious injuries had fallen from 48 to 34 over a period of two years in areas where cameras were in use.

Overall in eight camera pilot areas, deaths and injuries fell by 35 per cent, The Department of Transport (DoT) said.

Cleveland Police, which is in one of the eight areas, said the figures showed that speed cameras worked when targeted at accident blackspots.

It was backed by Northumbria Police which already has 43 fixed cameras on its roads but has submitted a Government bid to expand the number even further.

In contrast, forces in Durham and North Yorkshire said they had no immediate plans to extend the use of speed cameras with Durham saying it favoured a "softly softly" approach with motorists.

A total of 33 police forces have signed up to the Government's "cash for cameras" scheme, which allows forces to recoup money from fines and spend it on safety schemes and more cameras.

The DoT released figures yesterday which showed that the number of speeding vehicles at camera sites across the eight pilot areas dropped by 67 per cent.

Traffic enforcement officer Mick Bennett, of the Cleveland Safety Camera Partnership said: "The figures are excellent and that is reflected by the results we have had in Cleveland.

"Provided cameras are used in the right places they do reduce the number of road casualties."

Cleveland Police said there had been a 44 per cent reduction in "injury collisions" on roads where cameras were used.

This was comparing a two-year period between April 2000 and March 2002, when cameras were in use with the previous two-year period.

The force has two fixed cameras on the A66 at Long Newton and on the A177 at Thorpe Thewles, near Stockton, and is looking to extend the number of roads in which mobile camera units are in use.

The Association of British Drivers disputed the figures and said cameras were about revenue and not road safety.

It said cash from fines from cameras had "spiralled through the roof".

In Cleveland alone, in the first two years of cameras, more than £1.7m was generated through speeding tickets with the force claiming back just under three quarters of the total.