DRIVERS are doing an average of 37 mph outside a village school attended by hundreds of youngsters.Speed readings taken in High Road, Trimley St Mary, over a 24-hour period revealed the serious problems.

DRIVERS are doing an average of 37 mph outside a village school attended by hundreds of youngsters.

Speed readings taken in High Road, Trimley St Mary, over a 24-hour period revealed the serious problems.

For speeds to reach an average of 37 mph, it means huge numbers of drivers are doing far greater speed than that. The road has a limit of 30 mph.

Parish councillors have been horrified by the findings, but police have reassured them such high speeds would not be possible during school dropping off or picking up times.

Council chairman Richard Kerry said highways officials used special equipment at three places in High Road. Speeds were found to be particularly high near the stables, where there are fields as people enter or leave Walton, Felixstowe, and at the school.

The council was now talking to officers about possible measures to deal with the speeding vehicles.

One idea being looked at is advisory cycle lanes to narrow the road, but other measures are also possible.

Mr Kerry and vice-chairman Bryan Frost are to set up a meeting with Trimley St Mary Primary School head Richard Griffiths and chairman of governors Colin Monk to discuss the situation and look at the possibility of a “20s Plenty” speed scheme.

“I think it is very worrying to think we have people doing those sort of speeds through our village - especially near the school - and we need to look carefully at this matter and what can be done,” said Mr Kerry.

Trimley beat officer Pc Dave Gledhill said parents delivering and picking up children from school provided natural traffic calming and ensured vehicles moved slowly past the school at the most important times.

Motorists using excessive speeds at these times would certainly be dealt with.

He said officers used speed-checking devices regularly on High Road but these could only be used in certain places as officers needed to have a good sight of the approaching vehicles and sufficient range, wear high visibility jackets, and a safe place in which to stop offending cars.

WEBLINK: www.trimley-st-mary.org.uk

Do you think drivers are going too fast in Trimley High Road? What should be done? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk