THE biggest motoring group in the country has called for an investigation over a paperwork fiasco that could see thousands of speeding convictions quashed.

As revealed in yesterday’s Daily Echo, a landmark case against two Hampshire motorists collapsed after speed camera bosses admitted sending out a false document at the start of court proceedings.

Now the AA has called for a full investigation into the saga amid fears the true numbers affected could run into thousands. Their concern has been mirrored by Hampshire MPs.

An AA spokesman said: “What needs to happen is that the Safety Partnership needs to clean out the drains, investigate how this happened and report back on what it has found and what it is doing to ensure that it does not happen again.

“Then it is up to the individual to go back to the issuing authority and ask what they should do if they believe their conviction was unsafe.

“Clearly something has gone wrong and the authority should be given the opportunity to explain what has happened.”

Barrington Wells, 65, from Southampton, and Michael Halliwell, 66, from Everton, launched a successful challenge after it emerged the speeding allegations against them were based on false documents.

The case against them collapsed after Southampton Crown Court heard how vital certificates proving when Mr Halliwell had been sent a notice of prosecution were signed and wrongly backdated.

It was dated October 27, 2004, but it was revealed in court that it had actually been signed in February 2005.

New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne called for a probe into the scenario after lawyers representing the pair said thousands of others may follow their lead.

He said: “People have always been suspicious that cameras have more to do with raising revenue than road safety.

“If police are to retain confidence this has to be sorted and sorted quickly.”

Julian Lewis, MP for New Forest East, added: “It is important that members of the public when threatened with penalties for speeding can have absolute confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the procedures.”

Having initially refused to say whether the issue would be investigated, police now say the matter will be “looked into”.

Superintendent Robin Jarman, Head of the Criminal Justice Department at Hampshire Constabulary, said: “We are looking carefully at the comments made by the judge yesterday.

He added: “Our initial assessment is that this will affect very few previous cases.”