A “DISILLUSIONED” speedwatch group is losing members because of a lack of support from police, it has been claimed.
Etherley Parish Council members heard during their July meeting that a volunteer group found more than a fifth of vehicles passing through Toft Hill were exceeding the speed limit, but this conflicted with police data which show that no vehicles are speeding.
Parish clerk Alison Overfield said she had been in touch with Insp Peter Lonsdale, of Bishop Auckland Police, about the issue after two operations conducted by officers monitored more than 130 vehicles – but not one was exceeding the speeding limit.
Quoting Insp Lonsdale’s response, she said: “With regards to speeding in Toft Hill, there wasn’t a problem that day, but that is not to say there isn’t a problem. We will no doubt be back in the area before long.”
She added: “Insp Lonsdale said he would be monitoring it and, if necessary, would be sending the van”
Cllr Sharon Walker, who is part of the volunteer group said they had conducted two operations.
The first one monitored 100 vehicles, of which 28 were speeding. Some 14 of them were travelling at more than 40mph in the 30mph zone, she said.
Of the second operation she added: “70 vehicles came through. 28 were speeding and the first vehicle coming through was 49mph. There were seven vehicles over 40mph.”
She added that a school mini-bus carrying children was caught travelling at 39mph.
Parish chairman Cllr Paul Ryman commented: “That is a ridiculous miles per hour through a village. We have a problem.
“If police are doing speedwatch themselves and then saying there is nobody speeding, it is very disappointing.”
The council then became concerned that information being recorded by the volunteer group was not being acted on by police. They also worried that letters were not being sent out to those who were caught exceeding the speed limit.
Cllr Ryman added: “The principle of speedwatch was always to use it as a tool to enable local people to demonstrate to the constabulary that there was a problem. The constabulary then would take up the cudgel and deal with the issue, but there is something amiss with it now because even that isn’t working.”
Commenting on the volunteer group, Ms Overfield said: “We have lost volunteers because of disillusionment.”
Durham Police was asked to comment on the parish council’s discussion, but no response was received.
