DIY crackdown: Shropshire residents with speed detectors aim to tackle dangerous drivers

Residents from the parishes of Bitterley, Caynham and Coreley, all to the east of Ludlow, have now registered to set up their own joint Community Speed Watch scheme.

It will see volunteers trained to use hand-held speed detectors.

George Cummings, a member of Caynham Parish Council and chair of the Friends of Clee Hill forum, said there was likely to be a delay of a few months before the scheme would become a reality, although volunteers were champing at the bit to take action over road safety after years of calling for something to be done.

With Shropshire's first Speed Watch now up and running at Cross Houses, near Shrewsbury, concerned south Shropshire residents resolved to work together.

Residents in the Bitterley parish village of Middleton, who say drivers have ignored the 30mph zone on the B4364 through the village ever since it was put in place years ago, had their hopes of setting up such a scheme dashed earlier this year when they were told that there weren't the resources to send officers out to train them up.

Mr Cummings said a meeting with Ian Connolly, of West Mercia Police's Safer Roads Partnership, had been positive and was helped by villages banding together to boost volunteer numbers and the area the scheme would cover.

He said: "Our volunteers are all set and ready to go, but Mr Connolly has got to get some special data and that isn't going to happen overnight."

He said figures had to be collected on the speed of traffic around the roads among other things.

"I appreciate that we are getting close to Christmas and I think they simply don't have the resources to get us up and running that fast.

"He said realistically we're looking at next spring for the Community Speed Watch to get up and running.

"But at least we're now on board, as it were – we're actually registered so it is going to happen.

Chair of Bitterley Parish Council, Henry Chance, previously said the initiative was something residents were pushing for "out of desperation" after years of calls for action.