A scheme to improve road safety in Havering has warned more than 3,000 speeding motorists without any being reported a second time, according to a police community support officer (PCSO).

Community Roadwatch, an initiative set up across London by the Met Police in partnership with Transport for London, aims to reduce speed in residential areas.

It sees volunteers give up their time, go out with police teams and use detection equipment to identify the speed of passing motorists.

Any found to be more than 10 per cent plus two miles per hour over the speed limit will have their number plate recorded and be sent a warning letter.

But PCSO Rob Brown, who has led the scheme in Havering since July 2016, estimated that more than 3,000 warnings have been sent without any second reports.

He said there are around eight members of the public who take part in the initiative, as well as some students from Havering Colleges’ public services course and encouraged more volunteers to come forward.

PCSO Brown said: “People should volunteer because it isn’t something everybody can do day to day. We use the same speed gun that would be used for enforcement which is about £2,500 worth of kit.

“I’m happy that people volunteer just the once or, if they enjoy it, more than once.

“If the volunteer is a driver, it would be good for them to have an understanding of how we educate and enforce speeding in Havering.”

He explained that locations are chosen by looking at accident hotspots or receiving concerns from members of the public.

PCSO Brown said on a given day he will meet volunteers at a location and brief them as well as showing them how to use a speed gun.

He added: “We would then visibly target vehicles with the speed gun and, if they’re travelling over our required limit, we would write down the number plate of the vehicle and process it for a warning letter. At no point do we stop the vehicle.”

Exercises have been on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but anyone interested in volunteering is asked to contact rob.brown@met.police.uk.