“If someone wants to prosecute me, fine” - Councillor takes to the streets with his own speed gun

A COUNCILLOR is buying his very own speed gun - so he can record data on reckless drivers at a speeding hotspot.

A COUNCILLOR is buying his own speed gun so he can help tackle a speeding hotspot.

Mike Shellens said people living in Sapley Road, Hartford, had been badly let down because cars continued to break the 30mph limit regularly.

Chicanes were put in on the road in a bid to slow down the traffic, but residents have complained repeatedly that it just makes the road more dangerous.

Cllr Shellens said that, after his request for additional signs to remind drivers of the speed limit was rejected, he had bought his own speed gun for a couple of hundred pounds and intended take it onto Sapley Road to get a true reflection of the traffic’s speed.

“I am a Speedwatch-trained volunteer, but drivers always slow down if they see signs and people in bright yellow jackets,” he said. “What you need to do is get information about what really happens when people do not know their speed is being recorded. If someone wants to prosecute me for doing so, that’s fine – I’ll just get a lot of publicity.”

Cllr Shellens, who is also deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Huntingdonshire District Council, stressed that he was not seeking to catch out individuals and would not pass details of drivers to the police.

“We shall simply pass on how many vehicles are breaking speed limits,” he said. “This will enable police to prioritise their contribution to road safety.”

Cllr Shellens believes that the solution is to install average speed cameras on the road, but admitted it was “unlikely to happen any time soon”.

“Many, many people remain most unhappy about aspects of Sapley Road,” he added. “The principal complaints are speeding, poor lighting of chicanes and the danger and ineffectiveness of the chicanes themselves.”

He will also use the speed gun in American Lane, Coneygear Road and other speeding hotspots.