Last updated 19:31, Thursday, 27 November 2008

THE COCKERMOUTH Rural Safety Group wants to follow a Great Broughton man’s example to reduce speeding around Cockermouth.

Keith Sproat started a safety group in Great Broughton after proving to police that there was a problem with speeding.

After being trained with speed guns, Mr Sproat and six volunteers went out four times a week over a period of months and noted down the speeds, registration numbers and makes of cars that were caught speeding.

He said: “I started the group because I wanted to do something for my community and to make it safer.

“You saw over the months that cars were driving slowly even when we were not out with the speed guns.”

Members of the Cockermouth safety group have already put their names down as volunteers to be trained to use speed guns.

Sergeant Richard Smillie, of Cumbria police, said that all police officers in Cockermouth would also be trained to use speed guns.

Chairman Alan Smith said the group would have enough money to purchase a speed indication device for the town.

The winner of a poster competition, that was judged by Cockermouth School’s sixth form pupils, was Robert Joseph, of All Saints School, and his poster will be used as a logo for the safety group.

Other posters that were designed by the children will be displayed in the town’s Sainsbury’s supermarket in the coming weeks.

The next meeting of the group will take place at Cockermouth School Eco Centre on December 11 at 7pm.