VOLUNTEER police officers will be helping make the county s roads safer as part of a weekend of activity to showcase their work.The event this weekend, February 6 and 7, will see members of the Special Constabulary involved in enforcement work around spe

VOLUNTEER police officers will be helping make the county's roads safer as part of a weekend of activity to showcase their work.

The event this weekend, February 6 and 7, will see members of the Special Constabulary involved in enforcement work around speeding, seatbelts, mobile phone use, drink and drug driving, and uninsured or untaxed vehicles.

It is part of a region-wide Specials Weekend, which aims to put their voluntary work in the spotlight.

In central division, which includes the Huntingdon and Fenland areas, specials will be dealing with traffic offences. They will also be involved in the execution of warrants to arrest people who have failed to attend court.

Officers will concentrate on areas with a history of collisions and focus on vulnerable groups such as motorcyclists and young drivers.

Specials will work alongside officers from the force's roads policing unit (RPU) and respond to any ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) hits.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hopkins, who is the regional lead for specials, said: "The hard work and enthusiasm of special constables makes them an indispensable asset to policing in Cambridgeshire and the region.

"They are an integral part of the modern policing service, volunteering their time to help protect the community from crime and disorder by supporting police officers and PCSOs.

"This weekend, specials will be carrying out duties to make our roads safer but it is important to remember that they are also out every week of the year performing what is an invaluable form of voluntary service."

Cambridgeshire currently has about 170 special officers who are working between them about 30,000 hours every year.

In southern division, specials from stations across the division will be carrying out speed checks on Friday and Saturday, concentrating on priorities set at neighbourhood panel meetings.

They will also issue tickets for anti-social driving, other motoring offences and riding a bicycle without lights.

In northern division, specials will be supporting traffic officers carrying out speed checks across the city on Friday evening and on ANPR duties on Saturday.

On Sunday they will help tackle neighbourhood priorities around speeding as well as cracking down on mobile phone use and flouting of no entry signs and bus lane restrictions in the Ortons, Peterbrough.

The other forces in the region taking part are Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.