DOZENS of off-duty police officers caught speeding in the region have been criticised by road safety officers for undermining traffic laws.

An investigation using freedom of information powers by The Northern Echo found that more than 100 police officers in the North-East and North Yorkshire had been prosecuted after breaking speed limits while not at work.

One North Yorkshire Police officer was summed to court for travelling at 101 mph when the limit was 70mph.

Another off-duty officer from the force was caught driving at 85mph in a 60mph zone. He was handed a fixed penalty.

Over the last five years, 57 Durham Constabulary officers have been caught speeding while off-duty

During the same period 40 North Yorkshire and seven Cleveland Police officers were prosecuted.

Dave Nichols, spokesman for road safety charity Brake, said the speeding off-duty police officers were risking lives.

“However well trained and experienced you are, the faster you drive the less chance you have to react to the unexpected, and the more likely you are to cause a potentially devastating crash," he said.

"Speeding by off-duty officers undermines vital traffic laws like speed limits, and the crucial work of traffic police in enforcing these laws and protecting the public.”

Commenting on the figures for her force, a North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “Police officers who are caught speeding have to adhere to disciplinary procedures that begin with reporting the offence to our professional standards department.

"The outcome of each case will depend on the circumstances, severity of the offence and the frequency of offending.

"Failure to report the offence could also result in a disciplinary investigation."

Durham Police said any officers caught speeding while off-duty was obliged to inform the force's professional standards unit.

The Echo investigation comes a month after Durham and Cleveland forces worked together on a campaign to tackle speeding drivers.

A total of 607 offences were detected over a week-long period.

Senior officers warned speeding drivers during the campaign that they were risking their own life, as well as the lives of other road users.

According to police, about two thirds of collisions in which someone is killed or seriously injured by a speeding driver take place on roads with a speed limit of 30mph or less.