SPEEDING motorists in Tidworth and the surrounding areas can “expect to be prosecuted”, warn police.

The sector commander for Amesbury and Tidworth, Inspector Christian Lange, told Tidworth Area Board last week that the neighbourhood policing team will be addressing concerns about speeding drivers.

It comes after the issue was flagged up at a recent neighbourhood tasking group meeting. The tasking group meets every three months to discuss and set priorities for the neighbourhood policing team.

The area board meeting heard that officers will be carrying out operations over the coming months where officers will be able to issue fixed penalty notices to drivers flouting speed limits.

Inspector Lange presented a report to the area board saying: “The issue of speeding motorists in the community area appears to be causing increasing concern particularly in the following areas – Perham Down, Kennet Road, Pennings Road and Range Road.

“As a result of this, police will be running speeding operations in these areas over the next three months and speeding motorists must expect to be prosecuted.”

* The latest police figures for June show crime has increased by 1.4 per cent compared to figures for last year.

Inspector Lange said non-domestic burglaries, which include shed break-ins, “continue to be a problem”.

He added: “The recorded crime statistics for the Tidworth Community Area are up slightly (1.4 per cent) on the same figures for last year but it should be borne in mind that the crime figures are very low and small changes can make a big difference to the percentage figures.

“Non-dwelling burglaries, where sheds are broken into, have started to rise again so the team have been involved in policing activity to deal with this.”

He told the meeting there had been three arrests in Durrington where stolen property had been recovered, which had since been reunited with its owner.

He said: “Can I just reiterate the need to make sure people mark their stuff so when we do have successful arrests and warrants and so on then we can return the property to the owner. Thankfully on this occasion we did.”