Speeders in firing line

More volunteers are needed to operate speed cameras as part of a community Speedwatch team.

Southwell Safer Neighbourhood Group wants to re-establish the Speedwatch campaign.

Southwell was one of the first areas in Newark and Sherwood to operate Speedwatch.

The town council paid £1,200 for its own speed camera four years ago.

The chairman of the council, Mrs Beryl Prentice, said: “Speedwatch is not a responsibility of the town council but to have the equipment and not use it puts an awful pressure on the council because we feel we should be volunteering.”

Mr Brendan Haigh said he was concerned that the equipment was not being used.

“There are a few volunteers but we just aren’t doing anything about it,” he said.

“It is going to be very hard to recruit people in the future if we don’t get this going again.”

Speedwatch volunteers are trained to use speed cameras.

The Southwell area commander, Inspector Andy Gan, said Speedwatch campaigns could be ineffective in towns because it was usually local people who were speeding and they knew that Speedwatch teams could not issue fines.

He said Speedwatch would be more effective if it was combined with a police campaign because then people would not know whether they were going to receive a warning letter or be fined.

People caught speeding by Speedwatch volunteers are sent warning letters by the police and after three warnings may face prosecution.

Inspector Gan said the beat manager for Southwell, Pc Tony Hayes, had recently been trained to use a police speed camera.

“He is currently organising the time when he is going to get out to Southwell and the surrounding villages,” said Inspector Gan.

Mrs Beryl Rimmer, the town councillor with responsibility for Speedwatch, said she hoped to work closely with the police to re-establish a campaign and recruit more volunteers.