CONCERNS have been raised about the number of cars speeding through a village near Worcester.

A temporary speed activated sign put up in Kempsey to highlight the 30mph limit in the village was triggered 31,000 times in a month.

Parish councillors were told that people had been driving at or above the limit on each of those occasions.

The sign was put up a month ago opposite the Hillside junction logging traffic coming out of the village up an incline on the A38 towards Worcester. It was triggered 22,000 times.

However, a week ago, the sign was turned around to log vehicles coming into the village from the Upton direction. It has been triggered 9,000 times.

Councillor Melody Baker said the village had a speeding problem. He said: “We have a lot of elderly and vulnerable people in the village. If there’s an opportunity to get one or two of these signs we should take it up.”

But Terry Ward said that following a conversation with officers at Worcestershire County Council, he had been advised that the cost of putting up a permanent sign was £5,000.

He said: “The solar cell version is also very expensive.”

Councillor Kenneth Blackwell said: “We should get some details on possible running costs from other parishes who have these signs.”

The sign has been provided on loan by Worcestershire County Council and was removed yesterday Community support officer Colin Davies, of Kempsey and Alfrick local policing team, said: “It does activate at 30mph.

“But the amount of activations would suggest that people aren’t sticking to the speed limit.”

He said officers would be requesting speed gun patrols be carried out in the area.