The number of motorists zapped by speed cameras in the Canterbury district has more than halved in the past seven years.

Figures reveal only 1,610 drivers were flashed last year, compared with 4,207 in 2003.

The huge drop suggests drivers in the district are more clued up on the location of the fixed cameras in St Martin’s Hill and Pinn Hill and mobile van sites around the district - a stance shared by the people who operate them.

Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership spokesman Katherine Barrett said: "In a nutshell, it’s down to driver compliance.

"When the partnership was formed there were more than 4,000 drivers flashed in Canterbury in a year, but in the past two years there have only been about 1,600.

"The level of enforcement during that time has stayed the same, so the numbers indicate more compliance with speed limits.

"Drivers know where the camera sites are and adjust their speeds accordingly, which is exactly what we want."

Mrs Barrett admits the loss in 2007 of one of the city’s three fixed cameras - which only operate 25 per cent of the time - might have helped figures drop.

She said: "There’s a possibility that losing the camera in Sturry Road may have had an impact, but I can’t say for sure.

"We have only ever taken out a few fixed cameras in the county and they have always been from places where speeds and casualties have significantly reduced or the council has taken other measures to reduce speeds."