VOLUNTEERS are being urged by a neighbourhood watch group to help reduce speeding.

The Poole Hill Neighbourhood Watch Group in Bournemouth is calling on residents to hold speeding guns so that drivers breaking the speed limit can be sent a letter from Dorset Police.

Neighbourhood watch co-ordinator Norman Decent said those caught will get advice and not a fine as their video footage will not be enforceable.

“We will be given yellow coats and training,” he said. “For example there’s a point in West Hill Road where larger cars fly along.

“They will get a letter from the police saying they were caught on a certain road and recommend that they reduce their speed.

“We will have three or four people doing it together for safety.”

Community Speed Watch groups are set up and run by volunteers who use handheld devices to record details of motorists seen speeding.

They can also note drivers using a mobile phone or not wearing seat belts. The police then send out warning letters.

Volunteer teams previously set up include those in of Horton, near Ferndown, and at Chideock in west Dorset. Mr Decent will be asking for volunteers for the Community Speed Watch scheme at the next meeting of the Poole Hill Neighbourhood Watch Group on Tuesday, January 14, at 6pm at the town centre library.

All are welcome to attend and can raise issues with police and council representatives, or through Mr Decent.

Community speed watch

THOSE caught speeding by Community Support Watch teams are sent letters from the police.

The details of potential volunteers are passed on to Dorset Police’s “vetting department” for police assurance checks to be carried out before a member of their local Safer Neighbourhood Team provides training in the use of the speed checking equipment.

When a volunteer team carries out speed checks they record how many vehicles are checked and how many were observed exceeding the speed limit thresholds: 25mph in a 20mph area, 36mph in a 30mph area and 47mph in a 40mph area.

This information will then be sent to the police’s volunteer support team.

A warning letter will be sent to the registered keeper on the first two occasions that their vehicle exceeds the speed limit.

If the vehicle is observed for a third time, local officers give the matter “further attention”.