POLICE say they are carrying out an ongoing speed gun campaign in Ledbury, and the issue of speeding will go to the top of the list for discussion at the next PACT meeting.

The news comes following public concerns that not enough is being done to tackle speeding in Ledbury.

But police have revealed statistics to show how officers have been tackling speeding in Ledbury in recent weeks.

And figures show that speeding on some roads is not as bad as is perceived by some local residents

A traffic survey for Bye Street revealed "quite low speeds" with 85 per cent of traffic travelling at or below 28.7mph.

PCSO David Alexander of the Ledbury Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "We would consider enforcement if this figure was 35mph or above."

And speeding in the Southend was found to be only a little above the 30mph limit.

PCSO Alexander said: "The speeds came back below the threshold to carry out enforcement so we have no plans to enforce here. The figure we have for the Southend is 34.7mph and the point at which we look to enforce is 35mph in a 30 limit.

"I'd say this data shows that there is not a significant speed issue here."

In addition to the traffic surveys local officers have carried out speed checks on The Southend just past John Masefield High School, using a hand held laser gun. During one half hour session on a mid-week morning 80 cars travelled on The Homend, with 33 recorded at 31mph, three at 34mph, one at 36 mph and one at 40mph.

PCSO Alexander said: "The local motorist travelling at 10mph over the speed limit was given a ticket and words of advice. PCSO's have now been trained to user laser guns for measuring speeds and we will have more results at the next PACT meeting as this is an ongoing operation."

But the crackdown on speeding cars this autumn is not the first campaign of its kind in town.

PCSO Alexander added: "In 2014/15 our main PACT priority was 'boy racers' and we had a lot of success with several motorists advised, several given section 59 warnings and a handful having their vehicles seized. Since the beginning of 2016 we have only received one report of boy racers in Ledbury town. This was on August 13 and three motorists caught doing 'doughnuts' at a car park on the Lower Rd Industrial estate were given strong words of advice."

PCSO Alexander added: "We will continue to monitor speed in and around Ledbury with a view to providing feedback at the next PACT meeting on Monday December 12."

Cllr Annette Crowe, who organises the PACT meetings, has made enquiries to Herefordshire Council to find the likely cost of painting new speed reductions signs on some town roads. When she has those costs she will present them to Ledbury Town Council, to help decide if the town council should use taxpayers' money from its own purse to pay for the work.

However, Cllr Crowe also said that such work should really be the duty of the highways authority, Herefordshire Council, and if the town council does end up paying for the painted signage, taxpayers would effectively be "paying twice".

Members of the public have highlighted the Hereford Road and the Gloucester Road/Southend as areas in Ledbury where the speed signage is not very clear and where some motorists go more quickly than the 30mph limit.

Cllr Crowe said of the police campaign against speeding: "I'm really pleased about the way the police have acted on this. I know they have been out with speed guns, randomly, and are being proactive.

"This shows the great co-operation between the town council, through PACT, and the police, and that the views of residents are being taken on board."