Met Police rack up £300,000 of fines

• Traffic offences by Police rise
• Campaigners say rules need a rethink
• Force says many fines will be waived

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Campaigners are calling for a rethink of traffic regulations after it was revealed that the Metropolitan Police racked up £325,563 in fines in the last financial year.

The fines were mostly for parking illegally, speeding, ignoring bus lanes, driving the wrong way on a one-way street and red route offences.

The bill is one third higher than the previous financial year, when it was £245,377.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police stressed that vehicles responding to emergencies or on operations were exempt from fines and that the increase was, in part, down to the fleet of Police vehicles growing.

'In particular, the number of unmarked hire and lease vehicles increased, and these would not be recognisable to the council when on covert operations,' said the spokesman.

'We are currently working with local authorities to reduce the level of unwarranted fixed penalty notices received for officers on operational duties.'

Police drivers are exempt from fines while on operations, but are liable for fines if they breach road regulations outside of those times.