SPEEDING motorists are being warned to slow down when travelling through a Worcestershire village now that speed camera sites are to be extended.

Mobile speed cameras in Drake Street and Marlbank Road, Welland, will also cover a longer stretch of the B4208 Gloucester Road, the main route through the village at the foot of the Malvern Hills. The move follows concerns about traffic speeding through the village.

Roger Cousins, chairman of Little Malvern and Welland Parish Council, welcomed the move by West Mercia Safety Camera Partnership.

"When the cameras are out you can tell the difference in the speed that motorists travel," he said.

"Traffic has always been fast in the village."

The cameras were installed following concerns from residents, councillors and the local authority about the speed of vehicles in Welland.

Speed data collected by the safety camera partnership in December 2004 showed that around 72 per cent of traffic was exceeding the 30mph speed limit on Gloucester Road, with 15 per cent of motorists travelling at more than 40 mph. The maximum speed recorded during the survey was 75 mph.

"The speed that some motorists travel through Welland is unacceptable, said Vicki Bristow, the partnership's communications manager. "We hope that by extending our operations to Gloucester Road motorists will be more aware of the speed they are travelling and ensure they are driving within the limit.

"Reducing speeds on these roads will help make Welland a safer place for both pedestrians and motorists."

Statistics show that a vehicle travelling at just 5mph above a 30mph speed limit takes another 21ft to stop and drivers are twice as likely to kill someone travelling at 35 mph than they are at 30mph.