TWO cars are driving side-by-side down a road. Both are speeding - and both are caught by a speed camera.

One driver must now pay a fine and will have his licence endorsed.

The other faces a pretty stern letter - and not much else.

Why? Because the second driver does not hold a UK driving licence.

Does this sound farcical? Well, it is - but it is also the reality.

Now, we have never wavered in our support for the use of cameras in the battle to prevent motorists putting lives at risk by speeding.

We have consistently backed the decision to prosecute anyone caught above the speed limit "by 10 per cent plus 2mph".

But this loophole is a slap in the face for all those otherwise law-abiding drivers who have paid their fines, had their licence endorsed and, we hope, changed their behaviour accordingly.

Why was their behaviour deemed worthy of punishment - but not that of a different driver in an identical car on the same stretch of road?

The principle of justice needs to apply to everyone in our society - not just those that have UK driving licences.

MP Peter Luff is right to ask how many other traffic offences foreign licence holders are exempt from.

We hope that the new Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament closes this loophole - and any others lurking in our arcane legal system.