could see their speeding fines crushed after temporary road signs erected in south-east were found to be too small, it has been claimed.

The A20 near Sidcup had its speed limit reduced from 70mph to 40mph in October 2023 after dangerous flooding caused cars to skid off the road.

The change led to more than 60,000 motorists being hit with .

But it has now been claimed that might no longer be valid as the speed limit signs erected at the side of the road did not meet regulations.

According to the Government's Traffic Signs Manual, 40mph speed limit signs should be at least 750mm wide.

It has now been claimed that some signs on the side of the A20 were as much as half the size of regulatory standards, meaning many motorists were unaware of the change of speed limit.

The temporary speed limit was put in place after authorities became concerned after several accidents where blocked drains and subsequent flooding were believed to have played a significant factor.

Thomas Turrell, the member of the London Assembly for Bexley and , said the signs erected by were only 450mm wide and therefore potentially misled motorists about the true speed limit for the period between October 2023 and October 2024.

TfL has denied failing to meet regulatory standards, claiming that they remained "correct and compliant with the regulations" throughout.

Mr Turrell said: "This isn't a handful of Top Gear enthusiasts who have ignored the signage and then claim they haven't seen it.

"This is a huge amount of people who have been hit by this, and lots of people would not have even realised they'd done anything wrong."

Nick Freeman, a motoring lawyer who is often referred to as "Mr Loophole" believes that the signs were "definitely too small."

He added: "Obviously, if they're tiny, the motorist can't read them."

A spokesman said: "Safety is our number-one priority, and we temporarily introduced a 40mph speed limit on the A20 Sidcup Road in response to a number of incidents caused by ongoing flooding issues, which posed a risk to life.

"New regular speed limit signage, compliant with all traffic sign regulations, was installed to ensure that everyone driving on this stretch of road was aware of the new limit.

"All signage installed by TfL for the 40mph speed limit was correct and compliant with the regulations."