MEMBERS of the public will be armed with speed guns in a bid to tackle drivers breaking the limit in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police will tomorrow (Monday, March 2) officially launch its new Community Speed Watch pilot programme – the first of its type in the country.

The scheme has been championed by Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan, after research last year showed four out of five residents were concerned about road safety in North Yorkshire and 72 per cent surveyed felt more should be done to curb errant drivers.

The programme will run at up to 50 sites across the county where local people have registered concerns about speeding vehicles. The sites are mainly residential areas with 30 and 40 mph speed limits.

Over the next six months, police volunteers, together with members of the community, will visit the sites with hand-held radar guns or an LED speed sign.

They will record vehicle speeds and anyone caught speeding will receive a letter from North Yorkshire Police informing them of their offence and the need to address driving behaviour.

The main purpose of Community Speed Watch is to draw drivers’ attention to speed limits in areas where communities say it is affecting their quality of life, and to educate them about the effects that anti-social road use can have on local people.

North Yorkshire Police say they will also be keeping a close watch on the recorded data and may take enforcement measures if a persistent or extreme offender is identified.

Mrs Mulligan said last year there were about 70 accidents as a result of speeding in 30 and 40mph zones.

She said: “This new scheme is therefore a significant development, particularly for people living in villages and other rural locations. Different types of Community Speed Watch schemes already operate successfully in other areas of the country, so I am looking forward to assessing whether this scheme can help us to tackle driver behaviour here in North Yorkshire.”

Tim Madgwick, Deputy Chief Constable at North Yorkshire Police, said: “What has been needed for some time now is a practical tool to help people in areas that are not the most severe accident hot-spots, but where speeding is still a significant problem that affects the quality of life for residents.

“Community Speed Watch fills that gap and we very much hope that communities who are concerned about excess speed in their area will take an active interest in this pilot scheme.”