TWO fake speed cameras were set up in a Gloucestershire village over the weekend to dissuade speeding motorists.

Residents in Shurdington near Cheltenham have to put up with thousands of motorists who speed through the village on a daily basis, sometimes at 80mph on a 30mph road.

But over the weekend, someone took it upon themselves to tie yellow boxes to lamp posts along Shurdington Road on Saturday night.

Residents say they noticed it significantly reduced the number of speeders on Sunday morning. However, despite their effectiveness, the fake cameras have since disappeared.

A Shurdington Parish Council spokesperson said they do not endorse the action but are “thrilled” people are reacting to the problem of speeding in the village.

The speed watch coordinator for the parish council said volunteers have recorded vehicles travelling as fast as 80mph over the last year.

Volunteers, who run one hour speed watch sessions three times per week, have recorded more than 1,600 cases of excessive speeding in the village over the last year.

“We have 12 volunteers in total and have been going for nearly a year. The purpose is to collect data for the police so we can support infrastructure changes to the road.

“We routinely get speeders doing more than 50mph and this is in a 30mph limit. The evidence we are gathering tells us where the problems are. We as a parish council want to improve speed safety by tackling the speed issue.”

The spokesperson said the parish council does not endorse the actions to place fake cameras on the lampposts.

“We don’t know who it is but we are thrilled that people are reacting and are trying to do something. We were thrilled to see some community action but we do not approve or support it.”

County councillor Robert Vines (C, Brockworth), who represents the area at Shire Hall, says speeding is a real issue in the village. He said speed cameras could be an effective solution if they are enforced.

“There’s no easy answer to the problem. I’ve got no silver bullet to solve the issue.

“Some people might suggest speed humps or speed cameras. But cameras are only any good if it has film in it and it is enforced.”

Councillor Martin Horwood (LD, Leckhampton), who represents the nearby ward which is within the Cheltenham Borough, said it is a dangerous road.

“Shurdington Road becomes quite slow in Cheltenham because of the congestion but when the road is clear people do come into town at a fair lick.

“I have a general issue that enforcement of speeding is not as good as it should be in the south of Cheltenham and people come down Leckhampton Hill at quite a high speed as well.”

A Gloucestershire Constabulary spokesperson said just driving a few miles per hour above the speed limit can mean the difference between life and death. The faster someone drives, the less time they have to stop or react if something unexpected happens.

“Speeding is one of the ‘fatal four’ causes of road deaths and injury in the county along with using a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt and drink or drug driving.

“Driving within the set limit allows you to stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear providing time to react and avoid a collision with another road user.

“Speed limits are set for a reason and exceeding them is illegal. The minimum penalty for speeding is £100 fine and three points added to your licence.

“Receiving 12 or more points within three years may disqualify you from driving."