No action will be taken against motorists caught by a mobile speed camera – because the van from which the camera was being operated was illegally parked.

South Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership (SYSCP) accepted one of its vans had been parked on zigzag lines at the approach to a pelican crossing in Rotherham as it checked passing motorists for speeding.

One of those passing motorists stopped and took a photograph of the illegally-parked van on his mobile telephone. A spokesman for SYSCP said all staff were briefed on where they should position themselves at each location.

‘We are disappointed that such an example of poor parking has arisen and we are fully investigating the incident,’ he said. ‘No alleged speeding offences are to be proceeded with which arose from the enforcement at this location on the date in question.’