COMMUNITY Speed Watch hosted a quarterly event for team leaders at Wiltshire Police headquarters.

This was the final event in a week-long focus on volunteers.

Community Speed Watch is a scheme that relies on volunteers to help deliver the purpose of ‘driving down speed, driving up safety’ in local communities. The volunteer teams are growing in numbers with 118 current schemes across Swindon and Wiltshire.

Since September last year, when the scheme re-launched, 16,073 vehicles have been caught speeding on roads across the county. In all, 13,614 letters have been sent to the owners and 208 home visits have been carried out by local Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

There are more than ten schemes waiting to start across the county which will add further strength to our present band of volunteers who target persistent speeders.

Sgt Craig Hardy of the Roads Policing Team, which trains volunteers, said: “It’s brilliant to see so many residents of Swindon and Wiltshire wanting to get involved in helping to keep their local communities safe from speeding vehicles. It’s a great way for the Roads Policing Team to link in with our local communities and will help ensure we highlight the message that speeding will not be tolerated in our county.”

Community Speed Watch is run by local communities and funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, supported by Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Council and Swindon Council. It gives residents a chance to help combat speeding in their local area.

Volunteers carry out roadside checks on the speed of vehicles using a speed detection device and record the vehicle registration number of those exceeding the speed limit.

If you would like to start a scheme or get involved in a current scheme, contact your local Wiltshire Council area board manager or Swindon Council locality lead by visiting www.wiltshire.gov.uk/areaboards or www.swindon.gov.uk.