ERRANT drivers who break the speed limit in Lowestoft are being targeted as part of a new crackdown.The Journal can today reveal that speed enforcement campaigns have been run in recent weeks in Colville Road and Cotmer Road - two particular hotspots - where vehicles have been witnessed as driving at excess speed.

ERRANT drivers who break the speed limit in Lowestoft are being targeted as part of a new crackdown.

The Journal can today reveal that speed enforcement campaigns have been run in recent weeks in Colville Road and Cotmer Road - two particular hotspots - where vehicles have been witnessed as driving at excess speed.

Police officers from the Lowestoft South SNT have embarked on a series of high visibility patrols recently following concerns raised by councillors, schools and local residents.

And such is the strength of feeling associated with the issue of speed, and the potential ramifications of this being an 'accident waiting to happen' that about 400 signatures to improve road safety in the area have been collected.

'This is a serious issue and is one that has been going on for more than 18 months,' former mayor and Carlton ward councillor Frank Mortimer said.

'When I first canvassed here about the speeding issue it was one my pledges, if elected, to help the residents as much as I could,' Whitton ward councillor Trish Mortimer said.

With three schools in the local vicinity of Colville Road, and at least two accidents in the past fortnight alone where cars have collided with stationary vehicles, calls for traffic calming measures have been made.

And with the support of the police, the Lowestoft South SNT now has it as one of their priorities to tackle this issue.

'The objectives have been to tackle vehicles being driven at excess speed in Colville Road and Cotmer Road, between Elm Tree Road and Long Meadow Walk, and to consider the possibility of introducing a 20mph speed limit in Cotmer Road, in conjunction with the highways authorities,' PC Davey said.

PC Davey and other officers have been using speed detection equipment in the 'affected areas' to 'detect and deter' offences. And between September 16 and November 25, 11 drivers received a police caution for excess speed, while three fixed penalty notices were also issued.

With a passive speed check to monitor vehicle speeds over a period of time set to take place in the future, PC Davey also sent out a questionnaire to hundreds of homes in the area last week

And with work as part of this campaign 'still ongoing,' a meeting of residents, councillors, school representatives and the police is being planned to come up with 'an action plan' ahead of the Lowestoft South SNT's next Community Tasking meeting on December 17 at Lowestoft Town Hall.

Fellow Whitton councillor Deanna Law, who is also county councillor for Lowestoft South, has been allocated some funding as part of her locality budget and this sum is planned for safety measures.

'We need calming measures in place,' Mr Mortimer said. 'We have a strategy and some ideas but now with the allocation of money we need to go on to the next stage as we don't want a dreadful incident like the one at Worlingham recently.'

Admitting her 'worry' and constant concerns about the youngsters who are being encouraged to walk to school as they make their way along Colville Road, Mrs Mortimer told The Journal:' Something needs to be done as this is an accident waiting to happen as cars travel along this road.'