MORE than 1,000 drivers have been reported for speeding during the past 12 months thanks to the efforts of vigilant residents in Salisbury.

The Harnham Speedwatch Team regularly watch the A354 on Coombe Road, and have recently created a station on the Odstock Road.

The team was created in 2012, and operates all year round, with a crew of 10 volunteers, although new members are encouraged to join.

Salisbury City councillor John Collier said the idea was first mentioned at a Harnham Neighbourhood Association meeting, when he received complaints about the speed cars of cars driving through the village.

With the help of other residents, he decided to create the Harnham Speedwatch Team, using a template that had been trialled in other villages in Wiltshire, and he coordinates when and where they meet.

The team then use a laser tracker, which reveals the pace of a passing vehicle.

Cllr Collier said many people had praised the scheme, but drivers often express their displeasure at the method.

He said: “Some motorists support us, but we get some abuse, mainly hand signals and shouting and we can report that to the police as it is bad behaviour.”

1,269 cars were clocked as speeding between February 2016 and February 2017, with the highest recorded speed at 69mph, in a 30mph zone.

The councillor was keen to point out that the Speedwatch team was created for safety, especially after a number of collisions along Coombe Road.

He said: “We are not here to trap people, we are here as a deterrent; there are warning signs at the bottom of the hill (Coombe Road).”

Cllr Collier said the scheme was a success, but was surprised at some aspects.

“When we first started I had an impression that it was the young guns that did the speeding. But the actual truth is a lot different, and it is drivers of all ages.”