Officers crackdown on speeding in Brierley Hill

Armed with a TruCam – a speed gun which clocks the speed and records footage of vehicles – the force scoured Thorns Road for vehicles. The major route, in Brierley Hill, has a 30mph speed limit and several signs warning drivers the restriction is in place. It formed part of a two-week crackdown as part of Operation Zig Zag – with more than 500 offences recorded in the region.

Thorns Road was chosen due to its location opposite Stevens Park and Thorns Primary School. Pc Mark Hodson, from the road harm prevention team, said: “We’ve been doing this particular operation for a year across the West Midlands. We picked locations based upon the amount of people killed, or injured, or community complaints. We would love to come away with nothing – that would be a result for us.”

A 4x4 hitting 44mph and a BMW hitting 48mph were among two clocked in the first 10 minutes, with 25 caught during the session.

Some drivers would receive a £100 fine and three points on their licence if caught speeding.

But, due to the “zig zags” on the road – where the operation gets it name from – it highlights a no-overtaking zone.

The offence would then be classed as driving without due care and attention, with between four and seven points handed out along with a fine.

Pc Hodson, who led the operation, said: “We’re out here all the time and we need people to change their behaviour.

“Lots of police are busy tending to rush-hour crashes because people can’t drive properly.

“They would much rather be trying to catch a burglar but we’ve got to keep your streets running.

“Please drive to the minimum standard and help us out – drive properly and don’t crash.

“If you do that you’re doing us a massive favour.

“If you don’t drive the way you should do you will end up being prosecuted.

“I don’t want to, but if you continue like this we’ll have to.

“The council has done anything and everything they can with infrastructure, the signs, flashing lights and then someone is ignoring them.”

Pc Hodson said he had been left “disappointed” with the amount of drivers caught by the speed cameras.

“We’ve had more than we thought,” he said.

“I’ve had well over 30 people saying how much of a problem it is and I’m disappointed with the number, because, really, you expect better of drivers where like this.

“It’s bitterly disappointing – we have to deal with these people, and on a different day those people will kill someone.

“Every collision takes a vast amount of police resources.”