POLICE plan to use radar in West Malvern Road after complaints from residents about speeding.

But they have rejected calls for an electronic sign to warn drivers as too expensive.

Officers are also looking at illegal parking in the parish's narrow roads.

Beat manager PC Wendy Saunders announced the measures at a meeting of West Malvern Parish Council on Monday night.

Councillors voiced their concerns about increasing levels of traffic congestion, parking offences and speeding motorists in the area.

PC Saunders said: "We have so many reports from local residents of vehicles speeding, but the offenders are extremely hard to catch. Both the static speed camera and the hand-held radar can only be deployed in certain areas where there is a long, straight stretch of road."

However, she said the hand-held radar would be taken out to areas such as the main West Malvern Road, to catch speeding motorists and give a warning to others.

Other issues raised by the council included sexual activity in public toilets and in the car park behind West of England Quarry.

PC Saunders raised the question of setting up Neighbourhood Watch schemes for the area.

She said the formation of such schemes would provide a greater level of security and crime awarenesss.

She said West Malvern had a very low level of crime but stressed the importance of reporting incidents to police.