A driver was threatened with court action for jumping a red light because speed camera technicians muddled up the numbers on a registration plate.

Destoulla Bancroft believes the Sussex Safety Camera Partnership could be prosecuting innocent people after they mistakenly accused her of going through a red light.

The car is used by all four members of the Bancroft family, of Berriedale Avenue, Hove, but none of them had driven it through the light in Kingston Lane, Southwick, on the day in question.

Now the family is concerned these errors could leave law-abiding drivers paying other people's fines.

Mrs Bancroft's husband Phillip called the agency and said it must have made a mistake but staff insisted they had the right car.

He said: "She said they had got the evidence but they wouldn't allow us to see it.

"When you ring up they treat you like they've got the upper hand because you've broken the law. It's like you're a bank robber."

Two weeks later, the partnership sent a letter to the family admitting the number plate had been read incorrectly and telling them the prosecution had been dropped.

Mr Bancroft said: "They sent us a letter to apologise but it just isn't good enough.

"It could have caused antagonism with people in the family.

"It would be easy to get in a situation where we would have had a massive argument.

"Fortunately we know our son very well and we know what his driving is like.

"The whole thing didn't ring true, which is why we asked for the evidence."

It is the latest in a series of speed camera blunders.

In January, letters were sent to 200 motorists claiming they had been speeding in two different locations at the same time.

A spokeswoman from the Sussex Safety Camera Partnership said a mistake had been made typing in the number plate from the photograph.

She said registration numbers were always checked against the make and model of car photographed, so there was little chance for error.

The spokeswoman advised anybody who has received a ticket for a time they were not driving to appeal against it.

She added that any mistakes were always rectified as soon as they were discovered.