DRIVERS in the BH postcode district are the most likely in the country to be caught speeding, a shock survey has revealed.

In a top ten table of motorists to receive at least one speeding conviction in the past five years, Bournemouth and Poole appeared an astonishing four times - more than any UK area.

The village of Radlett in Hertfordshire topped the table, with 27 per cent of drivers snapped by speed cameras. But Bournemouth's Westbourne came second, and Boscombe, Parkstone and West Cliff all featured prominently.

These findings are sure to leave drivers across the conurbation, already reeling from record fuel prices, feeling the odds really are stacked against them.

Those least likely to fall foul to the Gatso are drivers in Glasgow's G22 area, where just 4.1 per cent have recent points for speeding.

Borough of Poole councillor Phil Eades said: "This table suggests that drivers in BH are six times worse than Glasgow drivers.

"This is clearly nonsensical and the only explanation can be the number and the locations of speed cameras rather than the driving habits or abilities locally."

The councillor says the speed camera on Castle Lane East in Iford, Bournemouth, is partially hidden behind a tree, and Poole's Castle Hill speed camera is also placed "a bit sneakily".

He added: "These are more about revenue raising rather than driver education or casualty reduction.

"Everyone would support cameras outside schools or hospitals but it cannot be right that the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership - with the full support of all local councils - is overseeing a situation where BH residents are the most penalised postcode area anywhere in the country."

The survey, carried out by Admiral Insurance, put data from 1.5million motorists under the spotlight.

Admiral managing director Sue Longthorn said: "One thing is for sure, there are certain parts of the country where people are far more likely to have a conviction for speeding and there are parts where hardly anyone has."

A Dorset Safety Camera Partnership spokesman refused to comment because he felt the survey was commercially driven and argued the results were not a true representation of the national picture.

Speeding hotspots: 1. WD7 postcode, Radlett, Herts, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 27.0% 2. BH4, Westbourne, Bournemouth, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 26.4% 3. HP27, Princes Risborough, Bucks, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 25.0% 4. BH5, Boscombe, Bournemouth, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 23.6% 5. BH14, Parkstone, Poole, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 23.6% 6. HP15, Holmer Green & Hazlemere, Bucks, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 23.1% 7. HP8, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 22.0% 8. MK17, Woburn, Beds, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 21.6% 9. RG9, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 21.4% 10. BH2, West Cliff, Bournemouth, percentage of drivers with speeding conviction 21.1%