RESIDENTS are being asked to take part in a campaign to stop speeding cars in your area.

Community Speedwatch is run by people in the town, with support from Cheshire Police.

Members of the scheme use a handheld speed camera to record vehicles as they pass.

Anyone caught speeding is sent a letter advising them they were recorded when driving over the limit.

It is not used as part of a criminal prosecution, although data is shared with police.

Mike Wilson helps run Community Speedwatch in Culcheth and Croft where Common Lane and Broseley Lane are hot spots.

Drivers are being clocked at 50mph in the 30mph zones and he says more volunteers are needed.

Mike, a former Greater Manchester police officer who joined after seeing checks being done outside of Croft Primary School on Mustard Lane, said: “All we want is an hour of someone’s time.

“We are just trying to reduce the amount of accidents on the road.”

Anyone wanting to be involved will be trained to use a camera, which costs £800.

Volunteers work in teams of two, one holding up the camera and pulling a trigger, the other recording speeds on a spreadsheet.

Maurizio Lucchesi is a CSO with Cheshire Police at Risley Police Station on Delenty Drive where data is handed in by Mike.

He started Community Speedwatch after a raft of complaints about speeding, and said: “The project can send a message to the community about speeding and its dangers.

“We can engage with a common goal of reducing it.

“We can struggle for volunteers over the winter so hopefully as it gets towards summer there will be more interest.

“After the complaints I said let’s do something together about the problem.

“We target the times that people report speeding is taking place, and we hope by giving warnings they won’t do it again.”

Anyone who wants to get involved can call Maurizio on 101.