SPEED camera chiefs were today accused of being 'sneaky' for planning to set up mobile traps -- just yards after drivers have past fixed sites.

Police and council bosses believe that drivers are getting wise to the location of speed cameras across Lancashire, slowing down as they go past and then speeding up again.

Now they plan to catch drivers beating the cameras by using mobile cameras within a 500 yard radius at 74 well-known traps.

Ian Bell, a former police chief inspector who now heads up the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said: "People are slowing down for the cameras and that is good news, but there are people who simply speed back up again, which is why we will be using mobile cameras further down roads to catch people.

"There is no doubt that speeding is dangerous and it costs lives. The cameras are there to make the roads safer."

Motoring organisations today claimed it was proof that cameras did not make roads safer and the speeding problem was just being shifted to new locations.

Kevin Delaney, traffic manager at the RAC, said: "There is something sneaky here. If cameras aren't working in locations, they shouldn't be there and alternative ways of controlling the speeds of drivers should be looked at."

A spokesman for the Association of British Drivers said today: "This just shows that they are moving the speeding problem on to other areas.

"They can't place cameras everywhere and this is a sneaky way of making money."

But the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, a collaboration of councils and the police, today produced figures to show the increase in cameras on the county's roads was making them safer.

The partnership, launched last November after being given permission by the Government to use money from speeding fines on more cameras, has increased the number of traps in the county from 69 to 230 in less than 12 months.

Now, figures show that in the number of deaths between April and July 2001 and the same period this year fell by one third, from 24 to 16.

Overall, the number of injuries on the roads fell from 2,570 to 2,393. They also estimate the number of people breaking the speed limit as they pass a camera has fallen from 18 per cent to four per cent.

The Partnership, which caused controversy earlier this year when it revealed it aimed to make £20million from speeding fines, prompting claims that the cameras were little more than money-making machines, plans to catch the drivers who are currently slowing down for the cameras and speeding further on.

Linda Sanderson, communications manager for the Partnership, said: "It is encouraging to see a recent fall in casualty rates. In the last four months there have been 177 fewer casualties, including eight fewer deaths when compared to last years figures.

"We have identified 74 sites in Lancashire where mobile speed cameras will be used near to existing cameras to catch people who speed up again quickly.

"This is being done in conjunction with the community to help tackle their concerns about speeding."

A new pack has been launched to get community groups involved in the safety blitz, which also includes targeting seatbelt wearing and drink driving.