Volunteers operating a Speedwatch scheme in across several towns in the district has reported that almost half of all vehicles found to be speeding.

The Thornwood, Hastingwood and North Weald team said that drivers going along Upland Road, Thornwood, was a “major problem”.

The issue was addressed at North Weald Bassett Parish Council’s meeting on Monday, September 1, by Thornwood Common ward Cllr Baden Clegg.

Checks had been carried out early on weekday mornings, Sunday mornings and between 4.30pm and 5.30pm during the week.

"We just can't keep up with it," he said. "It's basically close to 50 per cent or more who are speeding at different times of the day - anything between 40mph and 61mph."

In Woodside, Thornwood, checks in just one hour (between 7.30am and 8.30am on Friday, August 16) recorded 354 vehicle movements with a total of 18 per cent of all vehicles over 36mph.

During another check outside Screwfix on High Road, Thornwood on a Sunday morning - 500 vehicle movements were recorded in an hour.

However, no drivers was caught exceeding the 40mph speed limit.

Mr Clegg said that the traffic had also been noted in High Road, North Weald, where speeding drivers has dropped from about 32 to 11 in recent checks.