THOUSANDS of speeding tickets were issued by police in Lancashire during the first full month of lockdown despite there being a dramatic drop in vehicles on the county’s roads.

A freedom of information request found that police issued just 294 fewer tickets in April than they did in March, even though car use dropped to around 40 per cent of its usual level due to the coronavirus lockdown.

That was a decrease of less than five per cent.

In January, 6,260 speeding tickets were issued across Lancashire, with that figure rising to 7,066 in February, and dropping to 5,759 in March.

However, in April, when more and more people began working from home, leaving the roads noticeably quieter, police in the county issued 5,465 speeding tickets.

Officers said they also saw a rise in extreme speeding.

In April, 11 such speeding incidents were detected on the M65, which resulted in either an officer issuing a driver with a ticket or a notice of intended prosecution.

One incident saw a vehicle reach a speed of 130mph, the highest recorded that month.

At the beginning of May however, this speed was surpassed, as officers on the M65 caught a Porsche travelling at 144mph.

As a result, the police have begun cracking down on speeding motorists who are taking advantage of quieter roads.

Operation Manta Ray was launched in Lancashire on May 6, with patrols pulling over drivers using the quiet roads like ‘their personal racetrack’.

A spokesperson for the police said: “Sadly, we have seen an increase in some people driving at excessive speeds potentially putting themselves and others at risk. No matter how quiet the roads are the speed limit still applies.

“We will continue to act on concerns our communities raise and we will work tirelessly to target those who think they can use the roads as their own personal racetrack.”

The highest recorded speed on the M65 in April 2019 was 113mph.

Just 10 more incidents of extreme speeding were detected on that particular motorway in April 2019 there were in April this year.

Keith Iddon, Lancashire County Council highways boss, said: “There are too many examples of others who are choosing more dangerous behaviours and making the roads less safe for others.

“The potential consequences should be deterrent enough in themselves, however it’s reassuring police have been continuing to enforce speed limits.”