Police have “abandoned” enforcing speed limits on dangerous Weald roads, according to a number of parish representatives.

Councillors from Cranbrook, Frittenden, Hawkhurst, Benenden and Sandhurst are due to meet with Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes tomorrow, to lobby her make rural speeding a priority.

They are due to be joined by county and borough councillors, volunteers from community speed watch schemes and MP for Maidstone and the Weald, Helen Grant.

It comes after fears that police officers are not being deployed to catch drivers breaking the law on rural roads.

Ahead of the meeting Kent County Councillor for Benenden and Cranbrook Seán Holden, who helped to set up the meeting, said: “We want more action from the police because we feel they have pretty much abandoned enforcing the speed limit.

"This is a law being broken on a regular basis and could result in death and serious injury and damage.

“People write to me about this more than anything else.

“We are not talking about drivers doing 34mph - people are doing speeds of 50 or 60mph in a 30mph zone.

“We feel it is a real danger to the community, and is particularly putting children and the elderly at risk. It is spoiling our quality of life.”

The campaigners have particular worries about speeds along the A229 which runs through Hawkhurst and Cranbrook towards Maidstone, as well as the A268 through Hawkhurst, and the A262 in Sissinghurst.

Hawkhurst speed watch member Keith Lagden said he was concerned that the village was responsible for 19% of the speeding offences captured by volunteers across the county.

But Tunbridge Wells district commander, chief inspector Dave Pate, said that road safety was a priority for the force, which helps to educate motorists as part of the Tunbridge Wells Community Safety Partnership.

He said: “Kent Police will also continue to enforce speed limits when possible and provide training to volunteers who wish to support the speed watch schemes owned by local communities.”