Well it has been a while since I last posted but I think I need to get back into the groove.18 months ago I managed to get the council to purchase a number of mobile speed guns for use by the local neighbourhood police teams. They have been used with some success by local police in Tilehurst but over the last few months the delightfully named NAG (Neighbourhood Action Group  – a forum which brings together the local police team and local residents) has tken the initiative further. Under a dynamic new NAG Chairman, David Webber, local residents have been trained to use the guns and have been out on patrol, accompanied by PCSOs, on roads in Tilehurst. These ‘Speedwatch’ actions have been very popular with residents and many of them have come out to congratulate those volunteers who instead of suitting and moaning, have been enabled to take action against speeding motorists who are the bain of many people’s lives in Tilehurst.

The NAG is now offering to help any group of local residents who want to carry out a ’speedwatch’ action in their street  and similar speedwatch actions are slowly being taken up in other parts of Reading.

Before we bought the speed guns  there was no attempt to enforce speed limits in residential roads apart from occasional actions by traffic police a few times a year. Now residents feel empowered to act for themselves and I am happy to have been the one that provided the tools to let them do so.

Don’t speed in Tilehurst  –  you have been warned.