CONCERNED residents are hopeful that measures to catch speeding motorists in Welland will highlight the problem of vehicles haring through their nearby village.

Trevor McAvoy, West Mercia Safety Camera Partnership project manager, said a survey was undertaken recently in Welland to identify sites for mobile speed cameras.

The village is set to be the first location in the area to be targeted under new measures, with sites on the A4104 and the main road through Welland identified as trouble spots.

The announcement follows a report in Friday's Evening News over residents in nearby Upper Welland calling for speed measures.

Under the guidelines, the partnership is allowed to spend time in locations where there is community concern about speeding but which do not meet the required level of accidents.

Mr McAvoy said operators with laser guns would catch speeding motorists but there were no plans for fixed speed cameras.

There have been a couple of fatalities in the area in recent years but Mr McAvoy said the move had also been sparked by concerned villagers.

It comes after Upper Welland Stores owner Natalie Murray's cat, Arthur, was hit by a speeding motorist earlier this month, which resulted in the cat's spine and leg being broken and its hip dislocated.

Caroline Bennett, Upper Welland Community Group chairwoman - whose dog Jess was killed by a car 15 months ago - said they were still pushing for speeding measures.

The group has raised the issue with the parish council and is considering fund-raising to pay for cameras.

"It could be quite a lengthy process - nothing seems to happen very quickly but it's something that is close to a lot of people's hearts so we'll keep going with it," said Mrs Bennett.

"We're hopeful if they come down with speed cameras in Welland they'll see what's happening here too."

But Mr McAvoy said there were no plans to undertake enforcement in Upper Welland as it did not meet specific criteria.

"We've not had any discussions about Upper Welland. If people are concerned about it they'd need to contact the county council's highways department or the police," he said.