BUS drivers in Worcestershire are among the most conscientious in the Midlands according to new findings.

A check on speed camera fines issued in the Midlands found that the county, along with the rest of West Mercia, had the lowest number of coach drivers caught exceeding the limits in 2005.

However, in Warwickshire, 150 bus drivers were sent notices of intended prosecutions. Locally only 17 were flashed. The figures exceed levels acceptable to passengers, but they compare favourably to the Staffordshire and West Midlands area too, where 125 drivers and 37 drivers respectively were caught speeding.

Worryingly for parents, though, many of the buses involved were on school runs - in West Mercia the number for this was four. A total of 329 bus drivers exceeded the speed limit. Although West Mercia fared well generally, the West Mercia Safety Camera Partnership revealed one driver clocked the highest speed in a 30mph zone - at 48mph.

The highest speed in a 40mph area was 55mph, in a 50mph zone it was 70mph, and in a 60mph, it was 80mph. These were not on local routes.

Diane Ferreira, of the road safety charity BRAKE, said: "The figures are very disturbing indeed. They are shockingly high. The bus operating companies must take appropriate disciplinary action against offending drivers to protect passengers and other road users."

Dave Maciejewski, of the bus company First, said they were always made aware if a driver had been caught speeding, and fines were not a common occurrence.

He said: "These drivers are professionals and rely on their licence to make a living.

"They tend to adhere to the Highway Code, which is more than can be said for most drivers, who only read it before taking their test."