SOUTHAMPTON is home to the busiest speed camera in Britain – which has been triggered more than 50,000 times in two years.

And with the minimum fine set at £100, the speed trap could have netted the government up to £5 million.

New figures have revealed the speed camera, on Maybray King Way, Bitterne, has been triggered an average 70 times each day between 2015 to 2017.

Driving groups say they are “astonished” by the figure.

They have since called for the speed limit to be increased on the mile long stretch of road – with the limit currently at 30mph.

But both civic chiefs and a city MP have hit-back at the idea, claiming the current speed limit is “safe”.

It comes as figures, reported nationally, revealed the speed camera had been triggered more than 50,000 times between 2015 and 2017.

AA president Edmund King said he was “astonished” by the figure.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD), a motorist advocacy group founded in 2012, believe the speed limit on the A3024 should be reviewed.

They say the camera is “catching people out”.

A spokesperson for the Alliance of British Driver said: “The speed limit needs to be reassessed to see what the normal speed of the road is.

“The limit should be set at the speed that 85 per cent of drivers take the road at.

“It is not uncommon that limits are lowered due to an accident, but it doesn’t mean that the speed drivers are driving can be classed as unsafe.”

The calls have been pushed-back by local politicians, including Southampton Itchen MP, Royston Smith.

He said: “I’m surprised that people continue to speed through those cameras as most people know they are there.

“I think if you put the speed limit up, people will drive up to and break that new limit.”

Southampton City Council said the authority were asked to carry out a review of all the A and B road networks by the Department of Transport, and that it was considered appropriate to “keep the limit down to 30mph” on Maybray King Way.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Maybray King Way is classed as a restricted road which is a road restricted to a speed limit not exceeding 30mph. This is supported by the street lighting no more than 200 yards apart.

“Furthermore, a request from the Department for Transport led to a review of all the A and B road networks, Maybray King Way was within this review and was considered appropriate to keep the limit down to 30mph.”

Scroll through the gallery above to see the locations of traffic light and speed cameras in Southampton