All these people are cashing in

Gordon Brown: The Chancellor and his predecessors have benefited to the tune of £195m since the Gatso appeared. That’s the cost of a large hospital or another 6000 police officers.

Serco PLC: Installs and maintains 90 per cent of the UK’s cameras. At one point its share performance out-performed the stock market by more than 200,000 per cent. £40m profit last year.

Truvelo: The firm which makes the distinctive blue forward-facing cameras is owned by a South African arms company. When netting-off started, their turnover was just over £400,000. Within a year is was £1.1m.

Sanderson Group: Provides software which helps the police and local councils process the tickets.

Morpheous: Sold 10,000 Geodesy early-warning devices, which bleep when you’re getting near a Gatso. At £350 a pop, they’ve done all right out of it, too.

Insurance companies: More and more firms are loading your insurance by between five and 20 per cent if you have points.

Taxi and bus firms: Up to 15,000 people a year are put off the roads after getting 12 points. That is great news for those who ferry people around.

Lawyers: Legal experts estimate up to 20 per cent of banned drivers will enlist legal help to try and minimise the ban.

Royal Mail: Speeding tickets go out by first-class post. We send them back enclosing a cheque. At 26p a stamp, 733,500 of us caught on a camera in 2000 contributed £381,420 to their coffers.