People who lost beloved pets to speeding drivers have finally seen action amid a major crackdown at an urban hotspot.

A speed activated monitoring sign (SAM) which flashes the speed people are driving at has been put up in Denmark Road, Norwich, where motorists should not exceed 20mph.

Costing several thousand pounds, the measure has been paid for by a pot of funds from Highways County Council - distributed by several Labour city councillors covering the Norwich North ward.

Julie Brociek-Coulton (Lab), who also represents the Sewell ward on Norfolk County Council, said: "We hope that this will help make Denmark Road safer.

"Two years ago people living in the area told us of speeding and several cats were killed in Denmark Road.

"It has taken some time to get the SAM established but we should feel the benefit of the SAMs and helping to reduce speed really soon."

The councillors will work alongside Norfolk Police to encourage drivers to stick to speed limits.

It is also hoped that the SAM sign will move around speeding hotspots in the Sewell area every month.

These include Angel Road, near the Angel Road Infant and Nursery School, Silver Road, near George White Junior School, Waterloo Road, Constitution Hill, near Sewell Park Academy and Starling Road.

Clare Carson, who lives in Denmark Road, said: “We are really grateful for the speed awareness sign and really hope it will stop people speeding down our busy road."

Police officers will change where the sign is placed in the area when anti-speeding measures are needed.

The SAM sign comes as Giles Orpen-Smellie, Norfolk police and crime commissioner (PCC), has made getting tough on speeders and improving road safety a key priority across the county.

Figures show in 2021 the county’s volunteer Community Speed Watch groups, predominantly in small towns and villages, clocked 16,962 speeding motorists - the equivalent of 46 every day.

Mr Orpen-Smellie added his public meetings had identified speeding among the anti-social behaviours plaguing Norfolk and said communities wanted it tackled "so people who are out walking their dogs, riding bicycles or horses, or walking their children to school can feel safer".

Gary Champion, who represents the Sewell ward on the city council for the Green Party, said: "I am pleased to hear that the concerns of residents are being addressed and Sewell's county councillor is using her discretionary fund to do this.

"Whilst the amount of road accidents has halved in Norfolk since 2000, there is more to do. In order to continue to improve road safety we need to address the fatal four offences, which are speeding, drink or drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone whilst driving."