HAMPSHIRE county councillor Mark Kemp-Gee has stepped in to support the Beech Speedwatch team who, although regularly clocking vehicles breaking the 30mph limit through the village, feel they are fighting a losing battle.

They have a radar gun and if they identify a car, as with other Speedwatch teams around the area, they report the drivers to the police who will send out a warning letter.

However, they feel little has been done to prosecute persistent offenders who put villagers’ lives at risk speeding through Beech’s narrow country roads.

Because of this they sent a letter to Mr Kemp-Gee asking for help, stating: “We feel we have been as effective as we are going to be and so we are asking what else can you recommend should be done?”

Mr Kemp-Gee said on Monday the problem was drivers used the village as a rat-run on their way to the A31 or A339 and it could only get worse, with a future prediction of an increase in vehicles of between three and four per cent.

“The speed limit is 30mph and I don’t think we could ever get it down to 20mph as Beech’s long main road doesn’t lend itself to this, because where do you start and stop the limit?” said Mr Kemp-Gee.

He also felt the police could take more action and didn’t think they were doing enough to follow up offending drivers whose number plate details were sent to them by the village Speedwatch team.

He added: “So on behalf of our Speedwatch team I have contacted Hampshire Police highlighting the problem and asked them to do something about these speeding drivers.”