Plea for speed-watch crew over juggernauts racing through village

Peter Rushbrook appealed to the public at a Horsford Parish Council meeting to help him in his quest to bring speeders travelling over the 30mph limit to justice.

He said: "For two and a half years I've run a speed watch group in Frettenham.

"Recently, I did a traffic count here in Horsford for three one-hour periods.

"In the first hour we saw 700, the next 800 and in the last hour we counted 980 vehicles passing through the village.

Traffic on the B1149 Holt Road in Horsford (Image: Sophie Wyllie)

"These aren't just little cars either. It's big huge lorries coming through here.

"I've had permission from the police to set the group up but need volunteers.

"We might get abuse for doing the job but the good thing is that we can report the drivers who do give us grief.

"The first time we catch someone doing over 30mph they get a letter.

"The second time they get a letter too.

"But by the third time, they go on to a police watch list — and if they're caught speeding anywhere else in the country they get fined and end up with points on their licence."

Parish chairman Chris Brown said the council was more than happy to support Mr Rushbrook.

Horsford Primary School children doing a traffic survey, who have started an online petition for a safe cycleway as it is too dangerous for them to cycle to school due to the heavy traffic on Holt Road in the village. With them is their teacher, Shayney Blyth, and teaching assistant, Kieran Jappy. From left, Talia, 11; Maizie, 10; George, 11; Josh, 11; Jack, 11; and Olivia, 11. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant 2021)

He said he had run a previous incarnation of a Horsford speed watch group for four years but was forced to disband it over insufficient volunteer numbers.

But Mr Brown stressed that things had changed since then with more housing developments and the NDR bringing excessive amounts of traffic through the village's main thoroughfare.

In June, year 6 students at Horsford Primary School conducted a traffic survey which yielded similar results. They found an average of 1,200 vehicles passing Holt Road hourly during busy periods.

Class teacher Shayney Blyth said her biggest fear was that one of her pupils who cycled to school wouldn't show up one day because they'd been hit by a car or truck.