by Martin Jefferies

Speeding motorists had no place to hide when a police road safety team went into force in Thanet for the first time.

The high profile operation on the A28 Canterbury Road on the outskirts of Birchington used sophisticated camera equipment to catch drivers travelling above the speed limit.

It was staged just weeks after an interactive survey of local residents revealed that speeding was one of their top priorities.

Sgt Dave Knox, who leads the new road policing team, which was set up in November last year and is based just off the A299 Thanet Way at Herne Bay, said: "Ten people were killed in collisions in east Kent last year and for me, that’s 10 too many.

"There are four main causes of collisions: driving under the influence of drink or drugs, excessive speed, the use of mobile phones and the failure to wear seatbelts.

"Operations like this, which target drivers who speed through Thanet or break the other rules of the road, will drive down the number of accidents and reduce the number of casualties and fatalities."

Dozens of drivers were pulled over during last week's crackdown. Some were fined and given three penalty points for speeding, while one motorist was fined for not holding a current MOT. Others were cautioned for marginally exceeding the speed limit.

The operation was welcomed by Cllr Margaret Sheldrick, the chairman of Thanet council and ward councillor for Birchington South. She said: "Part of the A28 may be a clear stretch of dual carriageway but many drivers don’t realise they're travelling through a built up area or alongside a very large school.

"Speeding is a major issue for local people, especially for the many older residents for whom a car going past at 30mph can appear to be travelling much quicker."