A GROUP of volunteers in Llandogo have joined up with Gwent Police to crack down on speeding motorists.

Ten residents have signed up to the Community Speedwatch scheme which trains people to monitor passing vehicles that are driving above the speed limit.

This is the second community speed watch in Monmouthshire with a scheme in Llanfair Kilgeddin launched in June 2014.

Community Speedwatch is an initiative and aims to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding, while addressing the concerns of local residents about cars speeding through their neighbourhoods.

The scheme operates on roads with speed limits of 40mph or less. Volunteers work alongside Gwent Police officers or community support officers to identify vehicles exceeding the speed limit.

Roadside volunteers are provided with high-visibility jackets, roadside signs and are trained to use the equipment and record details of offending vehicles.

If a vehicle is seen exceeding the speed limit, the registration number will be taken down and verified by the volunteers.

The details are then entered onto a database from which a letter is automatically produced informing the registered owner that their vehicle has been noted to have exceeded the speed limit, the dangers of doing so and the consequences if they're found speeding again.

While no prosecutions or penalties are received as a direct result of Speedwatch, if the same registration number is logged three times, more formal action may be taken.

Co-ordinator for the scheme, Emily Godsell, said: "This is a great initiative which allows local residents to take some positive action within their own communities.

"The scheme in Llanfair Kilgeddin is working well and we hope that the scheme will see equal success in Llandogo.

"Speeding is regularly raised as a concern by residents and the additional presence of Community Speedwatch volunteers at the roadside will prove to have a positive effect on getting drivers to slow in other areas.

"The scheme will be rolled out to other areas in Monmouthshire in the future and one planned area is Tintern.

"I'd encourage anyone living in the Tintern area who would be interested in becoming a Speedwatch volunteer to contact me."

Volunteer and co-ordinator Bob Duck said: "Last July we had a village meeting where residents expressed their concerns over the speed of some cars travelling through Llandogo.

"We have 10 volunteers and go out in teams of three for an hour a week."

To express an interest in becoming a volunteer or to find out more about the role, email: emily.godsell@gwent

.pnn.police.uk

Community Speedwatch volunteers must be over 18 years old. Depending on the type of role volunteers wish to undertake within the scheme, they may need to go through a vetting process which can take about three months, plus specialist training.