Volunteers hoping to make a village a safer place to live by deterring speeding motorists from exceeding the limit are calling for more support.

Cleeve’s recently-formed speedwatch group hopes to slow down traffic on the A370 through the village, with drivers who often ignoring the 40mph restriction causing safety concerns.

Unlike other villages dotted along the A370, traffic is not slowed to 30mph in Cleeve – which residents believe is unsafe.

The initiative was launched by Cleeve Parish Council in the spring, and so far six members take part by donning high-vis vests at Heron Green and aiming a speed gun at traffic.

Alicia Fox, the parish council’s clerk, hopes the presence of the speedwatch team – which reports speeding motorists to the police – will deter drivers from exceeding the speed limit through the village.

She said: “Speeding is a big issue in Cleeve.

“Many people do much closer to 50mph than 40mph through the village, which is not safe.”

Member Christine Smart told the Times more volunteers are needed to tackle the issue of speeding in Cleeve.

She said: “I think one of the problems is when you drive through other villages like Flax Bourton you are slowed down to 30mph, but that isn’t the case in Cleeve.

“Driving at more than 40mph through the village is inappropriate for a place like Cleeve, and people do not slow down.

“Hopefully people slow down if they see us. If we catch nobody speeding, it’s good because it means we are doing our job and deterring people, but it is nice if we catch someone out too.”

With new members, the group would be more effective in curbing speeding by conducting more sessions at Heron Green, and Ms Smart encouraged people to take part.

She added: “We’d like to go out ideally once a week with two or three people, but we only have a small group at the moment so it’s difficult to do that.”

For more information on joining the speedwatch group contact the parish council clerk on 07584 411326 or email cleeveparishcouncil@hotmail.co.uk