An astonishing 133,000 vehicles have been clocked speeding in a village centre in a single week in a study commissioned by a parish council.

Nearly half of drivers travelling through Staplehurst were recorded breaking the speed limit last November.

Of those, 162 drivers were caught travelling faster than 70mph in a speed limit that was either 30mph or 40mph.

More than 133,000 speeding cars were recorded in Staplehurst in a week

In total, 284,024 traffic movements were monitored in a survey between November 14 and 20 last year, jointly funded by Staplehurst Parish Council and Kent County Councillor Eric Hotson.

The data was collected using electronic measuring equipment laid on the road by professional traffic consultants Streetwise, which recorded how to road was used 24 hours a day.

It found 47% of drivers were speeding when travelling in Maidstone Road (40mph), in Station Road (30mph), in the High Street (30 mph) and in Cranbrook Road (40mph).

Counter-intuitively, the figures showed traffic tended to speed more as they approached the centre of the village (from either direction) than leaving it.

Most speeding was done by those travelling towards the centre from Cranbrook along the High Street, with 11,726 vehicles recorded travelling at 35mph an hour or above, which could have earned them a speeding ticket if the police had been around.

The figures were revealed to the public at a Stay Safe forum in Staplehurst on Saturday.

Malcolm Buller of Staplehurst Parish Council said: "When I told people the figures at the forum, they were just open-mouthed in shock."

Mr Buller himself was less surprised. He has been running the town's Speedwatch scheme, where volunteers support the police to monitor speeds, since 2006.

He said: "I live on Station Road so I know first-hand how fast the traffic goes."

Staplehurst Parish Council chairman Tom Burnham said: "It is frightening to see what speeds some of the drivers are actually doing through the village."

Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant was at the Stay Safe Forum organised by parish councillor Elaine Symes on Saturday, that also included visits by the PCSOs, Kent Fire and Rescue an many others.

Mrs Grant said: “I know how concerned residents are.

"It is vital that we find ways to deter speeding and avoid serious damage to property, long-term injuries and even fatalities.”

Anyone wishing to join the the Staplehurst Speedwatch team should contact the parish clerk on 01580 891761.

Meanwhile Mr Buller had a message to the speeding drivers.

He said: "Please slow down. We live here and really don't want to become an accident statistic."