MOTORISTS could face an ever-increasing number of speed cameras on Wirral roads if new plans get the go-ahead.

Town hall bosses are proposing to take charge of the maintenance and penalty charges from the peninsula's speed cameras with the hope of raising enough funds to allow the council to build more.

It is also hoped that some of the money will go towards driver education initiatives.

Presently Merseyside Police controls the operation of the cameras with all money collected going directly to Government coffers.

Under the new proposals a 'Merseyside Road Safety Camera Partnership' will be formed between all the local authorities in Merseyside and the police.

The partnership will allow all the costs of setting up and running cameras to be recouped through the fines imposed on drivers.

To build a new camera the partnership will have to prove that any proposed site fulfils Government criteria and also show that the camera will be self-funding.

Officers behind the proposals have said that in the first 12 months of operation the partnership will focus on increasing its enforcement activities before looking to expand the number of cameras.

Wirral council's cabinet member for transport Cllr Geoff Green said: "The idea is clearly one of safety but I still have a number of concerns that will need to be answered by council officers.

"I believe that these cameras shouldn't be sited where they are simply proposed to raise money but should be where there is a clear road safety need and speeding is creating a significant danger."

The Merseyside Road Safety Camera Partnership would control 56 fixed camera sites already in operation and would see the introduction of an extra mobile camera servicing 28 additional sites.

Cllr Green added: "I am more keen on the cameras that alert you when you are speeding and tell you to slow down. I'd also like to see more about driver education in the proposal."