Patrols have been stepped up in Peasedown St John to catch out speeding motorists.

Local Councillor Sarah Bevan (Independent, Peasedown) whose 26 year old brother Tom was killed by a speeding driver near Reading exactly 30 years ago this month, is working with Avon & Somerset Police on a new initiative to crack down on excessive driver speeds on a well-used road in the village.

Sarah said: "For well over a year, residents living in Ashgrove have been contacting me about a noticeable increase in vehicle speeds in their street.

Driving over the speed limit, which is 20 mph throughout the whole of Peasedown St John, is never acceptable!"

Lobbying from Cllr Bevan has resulted in new sporadic day and night Speedwatch patrols being carried out by Police, which has seen some frightening results.

In a recent report presented by Police to Cllr Sarah Bevan and Cllr Karen Walker, it says:

"What is unquestionable is the considerable level of non-compliance, [with] each enforcement session culminating in comparatively high numbers of offences being detected, with an unusually large percentage being too fast to qualify for a course offer (32mph+).

I [police officer] did the third session this morning and despite being clearly visible from 250m with the kit facing the opposite direction, vehicles were still continually passing me well above the set enforcement threshold despite having hundreds of metres in which to slow down before their speed could be measured."

Ashgrove is a well-used street, connecting many residential areas to Bath Road, the main shopping and business hub in the village.

Cllr Bevan added: "Day and night patrols will continue in Ashgrove for several weeks. We are hoping the regular presence of the police will have a noticeable impact on vehicle speeds. The current trend of vehicle speeds of 33% over the legal limit is horrifying and dangerous."