Richmond's 'sister' council – Wandsworth - has become the first in the country to set up speed cameras to fine drivers for breaking local 20mph speed limits.

Wandsworth Council has launched the landmark scheme which will see the authority dish out £130 fines to motorists breaking the rules on two of the borough's busiest roads.

It is enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, although, unlike the police spend enforcement regime, the Council does not have the power to apply penalty points to licences.

Richmond and Wandsworth share many staff, administration functions and services in a partnership designed to save money and improve efficiency. The councils also share street camera systems.

The Richmond councillor who leads the borough's transport planning policy, Cllr Alexander Ehmann, has expressed interest in the outcome of the Wandsworth trials.

Wandsworth was famously captured by Labour at the Council elections in May, replacing the Conservatives for the first time since 1978.

The change in the borough's political allegiance has re-set the relationship with Richmond, which is controlled by the Lib-Dems following a virtual wipe-out of the Tories in May.

In Wandsworth, the trial scheme will initially last for eight months on Wimbledon Park Lane and Priory Lane. The move could be made permanent and extended to other roads in Wandsworth and rolled out across the capital if successful.

Drivers caught breaking the 20mph speed limit will face up to £130 fines which will be slashed to £65 if the fixed penalty charge is paid in 14 days.

Met Police have, until now, fined London drivers for breaking speed limits but the council decided to step in after revealing most of the complaints it receives are about motorists breaching the rules on quieter residential streets.

The local authority added that the police tend to concentrate on main roads and dual carriageways.

Under the pilot, drivers caught by the council also won't have points added to their licence or be made to go to a speed awareness course.

A fresh traffic survey by the council indicated 52per cent of vehicles exceed 20mph on Wimbledon Park Road.

A statement on the council's website said: "Since the introduction of a borough-wide 20mph speed limit, we regularly receive residents' feedback concerning speeding vehicles, therefore we are taking a proactive approach through this enforcement pilot to encourage speed compliance and ultimately road safety."

It added: "Income from traffic enforcement is ringfenced for transport-related projects and is reinvested into the transport infrastructure, for example, highway maintenance that supports the community at large and concessionary travel which offers free bus and Tube travel for elderly and disabled residents."