A NEW venture to crack down on speeding drivers around the Risborough area could soon be making the streets safer for residents.

The community Speedwatch scheme will see a mobile camera pinpointing different roads in the area, and identifying drivers who flaunt the speed limit.

Princes Risborough Town Council last week decided that the inter-parish scheme, to buy a speeding device that will be shared by the neighbouring parishes, should go ahead.

Councillor Bill Bendyshe-Brown thought it would be an effective way to deal with some of the town's greatest concerns. He said: "It's going to be a big weapon for us to use. Our top NAG problem is speeding. We have no feeling over what the top roads in the area for speeding are, and this will give us that."

The new Speedwatch instrument will cost £2,000 in total, but this amount will be shared by the parishes involved, equating to around £300 each. The device is portable, but can be left in a fixed position with the operator in a nearby location. Information on motorists who are caught speeding will be fed through to the police. In the first instance the authorities will then send the driver a warning letter, but persistent offenders could be met with further action.

And it was hoped that the system would avoid previous pitfalls that arose during similar schemes using Speed Indication Device (SID) equipment. Before, volunteers had to be stationed with the equipment at all times, leading to angry comments from motorists who did not take the measures seriously. Cllr John Coombs said: "We have sat on the side roads with SID being verbally abused. The SID had no teeth."

Alan Turner, chairman of the council, explained that there seemed to be plenty of enthusiasm for the project from other areas. He said: "All the surrounding parishes have indicated that they wanted it and would put money into it."

The proposals would have volunteers in Princes Risborough and several of its surrounding parishes sharing the equipment, and using it around the area on a rotating basis.