VILLAGERS in rural Chester are leading the fight against motorists who race along country lanes at breakneck speed.

In a bid to reduce the number of fatalities on roads surrounding the city, a community speeding initiative has enlisted the help of volunteers to identify where speeding is a problem.

Since being set up in 2004, Project Rural Matters has adopted two approaches to tackling speeding.

The Speed Indicator Device (SID) has been deployed in many rural communities, which warns drivers of their speed by flashing a happy or sad face.

But more recently, Community Speed Watch (CSW) which involves volunteers on the roadside using radar speed guns has been launched to gather accurate information.

This information is passed onto the police and a letter of warning is sent to the offending motorist.

Area manager Anne Lancaster said: “Project Rural Matters is not about enforcement, it’s about education. We are getting lots of data and having lots of success.

“We share our information with all our partners so of course if there are a lot of people speeding in a particular area, then the police will be encouraged to carry out enforcement there.”

Project Rural Matters was set up by Chester’s rural area committee and works in partnership with parish councils, police, fire service, Cheshire County Council Highways and Chester City Council.

Project co-ordinator David Bowker said: “Mickle Trafford have been the trailblazers with their individual approach but they have been keeping us in touch with what they are doing.

“But our major success has been the setting up of the Community Speed Watch signs in Mickle Trafford.”

Project Rural Matters also intends to focus further on problems of traffic issues and fly tipping.

Forms to request sites to use the SID system in 30 or 40mph areas are available at area committee meetings.