WILLITON has seen a rise in the number of motorists breaking the speed limit when driving through the town.

The latest report by the volunteer community Speedwatch team found that one in 27 motorists were breaking the speed limit by at least 10% – this is up from the last watch where 1 in 37 were caught doing the same.

The team conducted 24 watches between August and November 2014 and clocked 9,228 speeding vehicles compared to 8,633 during the period April 2014 to July 2014.

The number of vehicles exceeding the speed limits by 10% plus two – enough for a police enforcement – rose to 347 from 262.

The top speed recorded on a road with a speed limit of 30mph was on the A358 Tower Hill where the motorist was travelling at a speed of 54mph travelling into Williton.

The top speed recorded in a 40mph road was 59mph travelling away from the town.

Although the team are an advisory role and cannot issue speeding fines themselves, they can issue warning letters and do pass on information to Avon and Somerset Police.

They are sometimes aided by a member of the police with a speed camera mounted on a motorcycle.

Chairman of the parish council and a Speedwatch volunteer Robert McDonald said: “The disappointing thing about the Speedwatch is the amount of abuse we receive when we are out on watch.

“We get people who deliberately speed because they think it is their right and know that we can’t physically do anything, and we are on the receiving end of a lot of menacing behaviour, like obscene gestures.”

The Speedwatch team is currently made up of five people and is partly funded by the parish council.

Cllr McDonald said that the team are looking for more volunteers and those interested should contact the parish council on 01984-633979.