MEMBERS of the public are being urged to help police catch speeding drivers by volunteering to monitor the speeds of vehicles.

At a meeting of Prestonpans Community Council on Tuesday,  discussions were held about a proposed Community Speedwatch Scheme being rolled out across East Lothian.

But although some members of the group were supportive of the idea, the plans failed to find favour with one member, who compared them to "something out of [British science fiction TV series] Black Mirror".

The Police Scotland scheme, which already operates in Fife, offers training to volunteers who will be shown how to use a speed monitoring device and record the speeds of passing vehicles on roads in county towns.

Should a vehicle be caught speeding, the volunteers, who will be wearing high-visibility jackets, can then forward the information, including vehicle registration, on to police, who will send a letter to the vehicle owner warning them of their speed.

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Chief Inspector Ben Leathes, area police commander for East Lothian, said: “Community Speedwatch is a voluntary scheme driven by members of the community through community groups such as community councils and other partnerships, which is supported by Police Scotland.

“Community Speedwatch is about speed monitoring rather than enforcement.

"It involves approved volunteers, in high-visibility clothing, recording details of vehicles travelling above the speed limit at pre-approved sites.

"The volunteers use equipment approved by the Home Office and they are trained to operate the devices in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines.

"The records generated are forwarded to Police Scotland, who write to the registered keepers advising them of their speed and reminding them to obey the speed limits in built-up areas."

Road safety, he stressed, was a national priority for Police Scotland and a local policing priority in East Lothian and, with finite resources, this was an "opportunity for all communities to become involved in keeping our roads safer".

Specialist Road Policing officers and police community officers would continue to focus on "speed enforcement" at locations "likely to maximise casualty reduction potential" and through the deployment of fixed and mobile safety cameras, he added.

While many on the community council were supportive of the idea, with one member keen to get involved themselves, some raised concerns about the ramifications of the plan.

Ferhan Ashiq said: “When I read the plans, I was a bit concerned. It feels a bit like policing on the cheap and like something out of an episode of Black Mirror.

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“We are going to have people recording private information about drivers and their registration plates. We don’t know how long police will keep these records either.”

DJ Johnston-Smith, chair of the group, said that he did see the possible benefits of the scheme and that community council members were welcome to contact Police Scotland about getting involved as individuals.

Concerns were also raised about the safety of the scheme volunteers at a meeting of Tranent and Elphinstone Community Council (TECC) last Tuesday.

Member Robert McNeill said: “There is a big safety concern there. We could have police being called because of confrontations about this.

“Drivers aren’t going to react positively if someone is standing there recording them. There is going to be reaction and we don’t want to see it getting out of hand.”

TECC chair Mike Falconer proposed discussing the idea further at the group’s next meeting.