A COMMUNITY group is looking for new volunteers in an effort to reduce speeding around the district.

Dave Blackiston, 76, of Harwich is the co-ordinator of the Harwich and District Community Speedwatch Partnership.

The group was formed in January 2018 and patrolled the area before a two year hiatus enforced by the pandemic.

Dave said: “I set up in set up a single group focused on Harwich and Dovercourt, within two months we’d spread out to 11 parishes.

“At one stage before the pandemic, we were running with 50 volunteers, now we are down to 16.”

The partnership works by bringing parishes together to support each other in terms of speed watching.

In Bradfield, the group has low numbers so volunteers from other parishes help out to monitor speeding in the area.

Dave added: “We had to shut down for two years because of Covid.

“Having returned in February we notice that there has been no improvement at all regarding speeding vehicles.

“In fact, a couple of hours ago we finished a session on Ramsey Road, Dovercourt. In the hour we recorded 39 vehicles travelling at 36 miles per hour and above.”

As its numbers have been cut by more than half the partnership is recruiting new members starting with a training session on Saturday, April 9.

For more information, email harwichdistrictspeedwatch@pm.me.