NORTH Yorkshire Police received more than £1.8m as a result of speed awareness courses last year.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act relating to cost and return from mobile safety cameras, equipment, maintenance and penalties, show the force also received a net income of more than £236,000 in 2015/16.

That figure was 44.7 per cent higher than the year before and the money will help fund local road safety initiatives.

The force's Traffic Management Unit, which includes normal police business but also provides assistance and advice to Government departments including the Department for Transport, cost the force £1,522,505.

York Press:

Set-up of mobile safety camera vans in 2015/16, including training, licences and office accommodation, cost £178,568, while another £24,178 was paid leasing costs for the camera van equipment.

The force said that while there was a net revenue of £236,657, North Yorkshire Police did not receive any income from speeding penalties - the full amount goes to the Treasury.

York Press:

However, if a driver takes a speed awareness course as an alternative to a speeding fine and points on his or her licence, the force receives some income from the cost of the course.

This includes speeding offences recorded by fixed cameras on the A1 and around the county, not just those recorded by NYP officers.

The report said: “In 2015/16, NYP received £1,831,091 from this source.

"Additionally, NYP received £130,817 other income, most of which (£130,143), was funding from the Highways Agency to support our costs in relation to policing the A1 upgrade and the A64 bridge repair works.”

Earlier this year, Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan published a report entitled Saving Lives, Preventing Injury, which looked at the operation and funding of the safety camera vans in 2014/15.

The force's Traffic Bureau generated £1,049,000 in 2014/15, of which £886,000 was used to fund the vans and £163,000 was ringfenced for road safety schemes.

A force spokeswoman said: “An example would be the new Community Speed Watch scheme which is currently being rolled out in North Yorkshire and is being funded via costs recovered from Driver Awareness Courses.”