VILLAGERS have been told by police that problems with speeding motorists can be tackled – if they are prepared to pay for speed guns.Parish councils on the Felixstowe peninsula have been asked to come up with nearly £1,000 to provide the equipment, which would then be used by community police officers.

VILLAGERS have been told by police that problems with speeding motorists can be tackled – if they are prepared to pay for speed guns.

Parish councils on the Felixstowe peninsula have been asked to come up with nearly £1,000 to provide the equipment, which would then be used by community police officers.

But villagers have serious doubts about the project and some do not believe it is the beat officers' role to spend their time catching motorists driving too fast.

Kirton and Falkenham, Trimley St Martin and Trimley St Mary Parish Councils have been asked to contribute £320 each towards a speed gun.

In a letter to Trimey St Mary council, Pc Jim Kerr said the speed gun would be for the exclusive use of the community police officers to use in the villages and would enable more speed monitoring than the traffic division can currently offer.

Councillor Eric Durrant said: "I am very unhappy about this because I don't believe that this is what we want our community police officers doing.

"They do an excellent job in our village and if they were spending time with speed guns then they would not be doing the other work.

"Other police officers can deal with speeding drivers and the traffic police should visit here more – it's not the job of our community officers."

Councillor Dave Tyler also agreed it should not be the beat officers' job, while David Southgate wanted to know if a portion of any speeding fines meted out would be returned to the village.

Councillor Mary Dixon felt the council tax people were paying for the police was sufficient for the force to fund the equipment from its own resources.

But council chairman Richard Kerry and councillor Bryan Frost felt any initiatives to cut speed were to be welcomed and did not want to dismiss the idea out of hand, and called for more information.

The council agreed to invite beat bobbies Pc Kerr and Pc Dave Gledhill to their next meeting in September to explain how the speed guns would work, how often and where they would be used, and the impact on other duties.

n Do you think community police officers should be able to use speed guns – or will it take them away from other duties? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk