Titchfield speedwatch calls for more police action

The group of eight villagers formed in 2011 after Hampshire Constabulary appealed to residents to help battle speeders in the village.

But after five years of collating data for the force, the volunteers may quit this summer.

Grandfather-of-two Chris Walker was asked to set up the group by Hampshire county councillor for Fareham Geoff Hockley and the 81-year-old says the group feels its efforts are going to waste.

‘We are all unpaid, all volunteers, doing our duty through rain or sunshine and we don’t think it’s making any kind of difference as the police aren’t acting on it,’ he said.

The group says that the police told them that they would send a letter each time a speeder was caught, to warn the driver, and that if it reached a fourth time, officers would visit and reprimand the offender.

But the group says that the police have not been doing this.

Mr Walker, of West Street, added: ‘We have had abuse, been sworn at, and we do this all for nothing. It just isn’t worth it.’

The group meets for an hour weekly to survey drivers on either Posbrook Lane, St Margaret’s Lane, Common Lane and Coach Hill with a speed monitoring device.

According to their statistics, an average of 24 cars an hour break the 30mph speed limit on Posbrook Lane with 12 per cent of all vehicles going at 35mph or more.

A total of 486 letters have been sent to drivers as a result of the group’s work.

Cllr Hockley said: ‘They go out there each time but it doesn’t seem to do any good.’

In response to the group’s accusations, Hampshire Constabulary that they’ve spent 22 hours and 25 minutes in St Margaret’s Lane 
and Posbrook Lane using 
the data provided by the group.

A spokesperson added: ‘We have a limited number of speed enforcement vans who attend a number of locations enforcing speed limits.’

‘We are very grateful for their help.’