VOLUNTEERS will now be responsible for catching speeding motorists in parts of York and North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police are today launching the Community Speed Watch pilot, which will see residents pick up RADAR guns to check the speed of passing vehicles.

The initiative is the first of its kind in the county, and was set up after research by Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan found 72 per cent of people felt more should be done to improve road safety.

The programme will run at up to 50 sites across York, Selby and Harrogate, and mainly target residential roads with a 30 or 40mph limit.

Residents will be control a RADAR gun and record speeding vehicles, and the motorists will receive a letter from police informing them of their offence and instructing them to take action.

The stored data will be reviewed by police, and may lead to further enforcement measures.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick, the force’s lead on road safety, said the scheme was "an important new tool" for police.

He said: "We know that there are different levels of severity when it comes to speeding on local roads.

"What has been needed for some time now is a practical tool to help people in areas that are not the most severe accident hot-spots, but where speeding is still a significant problem that affects the quality of life for residents.

"Community Speed Watch fills that gap, and we very much hope that communities who are concerned about excess speed in their area will take an active interest in this pilot scheme."

Mrs Mulligan said: "Ever since coming into office, the public have told me they feel frustrated and let down when told their speeding concerns are sufficiently serious to warrant action. Moreover, last year there were around 70 accidents as a result of speeding in 30 and 40 mph zones alone.

"This new scheme is therefore a significant development, particularly for people living in villages and other rural locations. Different types of Community Speed Watch schemes already operate successfully in other areas of the country, so I am looking forward to assessing whether this scheme can help us to tackle driver behaviour here in North Yorkshire."

To find out more about the scheme, or to take part, go to northyorkshire.police.uk/communityspeedwatch or email CommunitySpeedWatch@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk