Crackdown on speeding

A crackdown was launched today by police after concerns from residents that motorists are speeding through towns and villages in south Shropshire.

Officers in Bishop's Castle, Church Stretton, Ludlow and Cleobury Mortimer have taken part in the training on how to use laser speed detection devices in a bid to cut down on incidents of speeding and dangerous driving.

The move comes after concerns about people driving too fast in rural villages was repeatedly raised at Pact meetings and at the Local Joint Committee meetings throughout July.

Constable Sean Bailey, local police officer for Church Stretton, who is one of those who been trained to use the laser guns vowed to be out and about as much as he could to deal with those committing offences.

He said: "One of my Pact priorities for the next three months is to clamp down on speeding vehicles in and around the Church Stretton area. I will be carrying out regular speed enforcement when I can around the area and those found to be breaking the legal limits will be subjected to a fine and penalty points.

"My colleagues in neighbouring areas have also been trained and will also be looking to enforce speed limits around south Shropshire."

Heather Kidd, Chirbury resident and chairman of the governors at Chirbury School said she was delighted that more officers have been trained to use the equipment.

"If people know that the threat is there they think carefully about their speed. I have seen it happen in Chu-rchstoke where Dyfed-Powys Police use a speed gun."

She said: "It is about people not realising the speed they are going because cars are so smooth now you look down and you are doing 10 or 20 miles an hour more than you anticipated. It is making the police part of the community."

Eric Mark, of Cleobury Mortimer, said it was a positive move and added: "I do live in the High Street and they do come down here more than 30 miles an hour. If they prosecute a few of them I suppose it will have a positive effect."