Five Dorset areas featured in the per-postcode survey of speeding convictions by car insurance company Admiral.

As many as 24.2% of drivers in the Sandbanks area of Poole in Dorset had had a conviction in the last five years.

The only area where there was a higher conviction rate was Radlett in Hertfordshire, with a figure of 25.7%.

The figure for the Westbourne area of Bournemouth in Dorset was 22.9% - putting it in fourth place in the list, while the Lilliput area of Poole was seventh with 21.2%, Winton in Bournemouth was 15th with 19.2% and West Cliff in Bournemouth was 20th with 18.9%.

In contrast, St Ives in Cornwall appeared to be the most law-abiding place, with only 5.5% of drivers having had a speeding conviction in the last five years.

Second in the conviction "coldspot" list was Small Heath in Birmingham (5.8%).

In a poll of 2,100 adults, Admiral also found that 87% of drivers admitted breaking the speed limit, with 69% thinking the 70mph limit on motorways should be 80mph or more. The poll also revealed that more than 10% of motorists had a speeding conviction on their licence.

Admiral managing director Sue Longthorn said: "Our statistics show a worrying trend that people see a speed limit as simply a guide rather than a speed that's appropriate for that road. It's a wonder that the national average for speeding convictions isn't higher given this fact.

These are the speeding conviction hotspots with percentage of drivers in each area who have had a conviction in the last five years Radlett, Hertfordshire 25.7%, Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset 24.2%, Leatherhead, Surrey 23.1%, Westbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset 22.9%, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire 22.1%, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire 21.9%, Lilliput, Poole, Dorset 21.2%, Bushey, Hertfordshire 21.1%, Salisbury, Wiltshire 20.3% and Worcester 20.3%.