A PARISH councillor has raised concerns over speeding in a north Cumbrian village after hundreds were caught breaching the limit in under two years.

Geoff Round, who sits on Wetheral parish council, has sounded the alarm after a Speedwatch scheme set up by him several years ago found several motorists driving at double the 30mph limit through Cumwhinton.

Mr Round told The Cumberland News: “I started the speeding initiative back in 2013, after interviewing people by using a caravan to find out their thoughts on people driving through the village.

“Speeding has been a huge issue for many years here, and I wanted to do what I could to make living in Cumwhinton safer.

“It wasn’t until 2017 that I was trained to do the Speedwatch scheme,

“The scheme has proved to be very successful, and caught one driver three times in the space of one day.

“There have also been a few drivers caught on the hand-held speed camera going way over the speed limit, including one at 60mph.”

Geoff carries out the safety scheme on an almost daily basis, with two visits a day to known speeding hotspots in the village- one between 8.30am and 9.30am, and again from 4.30pm to 5.30pm.

One notable hotspot for drivers includes the entrance to the village by the Lowther Arms Inn, which connects the two roads between Cumwhinton Road and Broomfallen Road.

“Due to health and safety, two people have be monitoring the roads when carrying out speed checks, and we need to wear a high visibility vest too,” he added.

“All of the drivers who breach the limit are recorded, with details including the car’s registration sent on to police.

“The force then issue warning letters to those caught for the first time, with more stricter punishments in place for repeat offenders.”

Originally from the West Midlands, Mr Round, 84, moved to Cumbria in 2007 to be near his family, and has served on Wetheral parish council for the last six years.

Since starting the safety scheme as a way to give back to the community, Geoff has received feedback, both good and bad, from a number of locals and motorists.

He continued: “While some have been negative and I’ve had a lot of abuse, many are very understanding as to the reason behind why we do it.

“It has brought an awareness of the through traffic in the area.

“I understand some may speed through the village if they are dropping their children off at school, or are late for work, but they need to be respectful of the people who live here.

“The very last thing I want to see or hear is that someone has been hit, or even worse, killed by a speeding car travelling through the village.

“We have a primary school here, and I don’t want a child to die because of the actions of a mindless driver.”

The parish council and Cumbria Police have funded two yellow speed signs each, stating that motorists are entering a community speed watch area, and to reduce their speed.

Each of the signs are to be put up at the four entrances to the village in the coming weeks in a bid to deter motorists from speeding through the area.

Sergeant Scott Adams said: “Speeding is an issue that many communities face as motorists continue to ignore the very real consequences of driving at excess speed. The speed limit it that a limit, not a target and is important to drive to the condition of the road.

“The volunteers in Cumwhinton are dedicated in making a difference within their community to tackle the issue and acts as a deterrent to those speeding.

“We are working with partners to tackle the issue of speeding in the area.

“We all know the dangers of speeding, yet people continue to drive far too fast in built-up areas.

“Those who continue to do so are putting themselves and other road users at great risk of death or serious injury.”