Speedwatch begins to pay off

A SCHEME launched last week to slow down cars in a village has already caught out a number of speedy drivers.

The Barkway Speedwatch programme, which got underway in the village on Tuesday March 15, caught out 26 speeding drivers in its first two hours, with the average speed at 41mph in a 30mph zone.

The highest speed recorded on the day was 54mph, but Barkway Parish Council vice-chairman Gordon Baker said he wasn’t surprised at the early results.

“I live not far from where the volunteers were standing and they flash past my house all day,” he said.

“I went out to my car the other day and nearly got hit, which is a regular occurrence. Cars get re-routed through here as a link between the M11 and the A505, so we are getting a lot of unwanted traffic.”

Residents in Barkway are volunteering to stand by the roadside in the village and monitor speeds using equipment borrowed from Herts Police.

Cllr Baker said: “To catch this amount of drivers in one day is worrying for the village, but I hope it will act as a deterrent in the future.

“Sixty per cent of the buildings along our High Street are grade II listed so imagine the vibration these speeds cause. Its also why we have so many potholes.”

Motorists caught by Speedwatch will first receive a warning letter with persistent offenders being contacted by police.