A man was caught out when he drove on the wrong side of the road to avoid a speed camera.

Hugo Smart thought he could avoid being flashed in Shoreham by pulling into the opposite lane.

In fact the camera picked up the dangerous stunt on consecutive nights and he ended up being convicted of two counts of careless driving.

But even then the 21-year-old tried to argue the cameras must have been set off by low-flying aircraft.

Smart, 21, was spotted driving at 48mph in a 30mph zone in Brighton Road in December last year.

He pulled across the road to avoid the Gatso safety camera, which focuses on cars as they drive away westbound through an area painted on the road.

The cameras are programmed not to pick up cars in the opposite lane driving towards them.

Their motion sensors still picked up Smart’s car, though, because he was driving away.

Smart, of Elm Grove, Lancing, repeated the trick the following night, driving at 50mph.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to charge him with careless driving rather than speeding because he was deliberately on the wrong side of the road.

Smart’s barrister told Worthing Magistrates’ Court the camera was either not working correctly or may have been set off by a low-flying aircraft.

But he was found guilty, fined £300 and given ten penalty points.

He was also ordered to pay £2,415 in costs.