A ROAD safety camera placed in Cropthorne for the past month has been hailed a great success after cutting the number of speeding motorists by up to two thirds.

The camera went live from Thursday, June 29 on the B4084 and the West Mercia Speed Camera Partnership are pleased with how well the device has worked in deterring drivers from going too fast through the village.

Statistics recorded in June 2002 prompted the siting of a camera in Cropthorne after they showed that about 92 per cent of motorists were exceeding the 40mph speed limit, with 15 per cent of drivers travelling above 56mph.

Figures also showed that in the three years leading up to December 2002 along the stretch of road, there were eight recorded collisions involving personal injury.

Four of these accidents involved someone being killed or seriously injured.

Since January 2003 there has been a further six collisions, of which three were recorded in the killed or seriously injured category.

Vicki Bristow, communications manager for the Safety Camera Partnership in West Mercia said: "Since the camera was introduced to the site in Cropthorne on June, 29, we have seen the amount of motorists speeding along this route decline by two thirds which is great news and shows how well it has worked.

"The speed that some drivers travel along this road is totally unacceptable.

"We were confident that a mobile speed camera would make a difference as purely the fact that it is there acts as a deterrent to motorists.

"We will be checking speed data and accident statistics for the site every twelve months for the next few years and the camera will stay there until it is decided that it is not necessary."