A TEAM of community speedwatch volunteers in the Swindon borough reported more than 11,000 vehicles for going too fast in the last year.

More than 30 neighbours in Highworth have dedicated around 700 hours of their time during the last 12 months to check drivers are obeying the speed limit while travelling to, from and through the hilltop town.

Mayor of Highworth Julie Murphy joined two team members during a Volunteers Week session to see first-hand how they work and thank them for their efforts.

In last week’s half-hour taster session observed by Coun Murphy, speed checks on the 30mph Shrivenham Road caught seven motorists breaking the law – the fastest going 48mph.

Another longer speed check held later on Cricklade Road saw 40 vehicles reported for speeding – 12 of them went faster than 40mph.

Coun Murphy said: “In recognition of Volunteers’ Week, I would like to thank the members of Highworth CSW who give up their time to assist in making our town a safer place for everyone.

“It is good to hear from residents about the difference the team are making.”

The Highworth team is one of over 100 Community Speed Watch teams throughout Wiltshire. They are closely supported by officers from their area’s Community Policing Teams, the Road Policing Unit and Wiltshire Specials.

The Highworth team leader is also the area coordinator for Swindon. He said, “I am so appreciative of our team members and every hour of their time they give to reduce speeding in Highworth.

“Volunteers’ Week gives us the opportunity to say thank you to every one of them. Every hour they spend on the roadside makes a difference in improving the quality of life and the safety of others.”

“We are grateful to the messages of support we receive from the community in backing what we do. We hear it in person from pedestrians, online and even from drivers who take the time to pull over and say thank you.

“There will always be a small minority who are derisory about what we do but these opinions are mainly expressed by drivers trying to downplay their own speeding offences.

“There are 10 operational CSW teams in the Swindon CPT area. We regularly see comments from concerned residents about speeding in their communities. CSW provides empowerment to those residents to do something about it.”

Anyone interested in setting up their own team can email highworthcsw@gmail.com