VILLAGERS are hoping police chiefs will agree to buy a speed gun to deal with menace motorists in their area if they will pay for the equipment.Parish councillors at both Trimley St Mary and Trimley St Martin have agreed in principle to contribute to the cost of a hand-held speed gun.

VILLAGERS are hoping police chiefs will agree to buy a speed gun to deal with menace motorists in their area if they will pay for the equipment.

Parish councillors at both Trimley St Mary and Trimley St Martin have agreed in principle to contribute to the cost of a hand-held speed gun.

Other parish councils on the Felixstowe peninsula are also being asked to join the project and it is hoped all of them will give towards the £1,000 cost.

Then it will be up to senior police officers to decide if the equipment – which would be used by community police officers to target particular problems on their beats – can be purchased.

Sgt Mick Richardson said the speed gun would controlled by the police and used anywhere in the Felixstowe policing area where officers felt it was appropriate.

It could also be used in consultation with the parish councils if they highlighted particular problems.

Its use would not interfere with the officers' usual duties but would enable officers to tackle problems which have been of great concern to residents.

The traffic division was not able to visit many areas frequently and concentrated its efforts on high priority speed areas and accident blackspots.

There have been concerns for many years about speeding in High Road through the Trimleys.

"It's not just the Trimleys, and there are perceived speed problems on a number of stretches of road in the police sector where use of the speed gun would be useful and act as a deterrent," said Sgt Richardson.

"It would be nice when parish councils say to us we have a problem of speed on road X to be able to say yes, we can do something about that."

Councillors were initially sceptical about the idea and felt enough was already paid for policing and it was not the role of beat bobbies to do speed checks.

However, both parishes now felt reassured about the use and the benefits and hoped others on the peninsula would support the project.

Councillor Mary Dixon accepted the use of the speed gun would be controlled by the police and not councillors, but it was reassuring and good news that it would be available to tackle what villagers regarded as a serious problem.

"Now that I have heard the full details about its role and how it will be used to benefit the community, I think it is a worthwhile project," she said.

What do you think of the idea for community police officers to use a speed gun? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk

Opinion - see page 6