As many of you know, the committee has been trying for the past couple of years to become part of the Essex Police Community Speed Watch programme. 

Our Community Police Officer has now advised us that training for the programme should be available to Woodham Ferrers and Bicknacre this year, possibly as early as March.

We need teams from each village to train as volunteers for the Speed Watch programme and are looking for a minimum number of 12 volunteers, 6 for Woodham Ferrers and 6 for Bicknacre, however, the more people we have, the better to spread the time commitment.

The requirement is for groups of 4 people at a time, in each village to operate the speed gun, take down licence numbers, identify cars etc. 

The team from Woodham would operate in Bicknacre and vice versa; this is to avoid motorists from easily identifying the volunteers.

The training for the scheme is done by the police and takes one full day. 

We are therefore asking as many people as possible to sign up for the scheme in an effort to reduce the number of speeding and careless drivers through the villages.

Please contact me on 01245-320037 or Karen at the Parish Council (01245-328988) if you wish to participate in the Speed Watch scheme.

Jill Oliver, Chairperson, Traffic Advisory Committee.