Community speed watch event proves a success (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Community speed watch event proves a success in Loftus

4:18pm Monday 4th February 2013 in News By Graeme Hetherington

MOTORISTS driving through an east Cleveland town have been clocked for speeding as part of a community initiative.

Local residents David and Dorothy Smelt raised the problem as being a local priority at a Loftus Beat Surgery and this prompted members of the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) to deploy the Community Speed Watch unit.

PCSO Nic Rothwell and PC Jacquiline Leng were joined by the pair on Friday, February 1 on Whitby Road where 287 vehicles passed within an hour.

Twelve of these were found to be exceeding the 30mph speed limit with one recorded as doing 35 mph.

PCSO Rothwell, of Loftus NPT, said: “Our first Community Speed Watch event went very well and was extremely well received by local people – several residents came over to us voicing their approval of the scheme and confirming that drivers were noticeably slowing down due to our presence.

“We will be carrying out more of these events and hope that by doing so, drivers will appreciate the serious message we are putting across.”

Intended as an educational measure rather than an enforcement tool, Community Speed Watch means anyone found speeding will receive an advisory letter. If the same vehicle is caught exceeding the speed limit again, then a final warning letter will be issued.