SPEEDING motorists on the A390 beware — the kids from Delaware and Gunnislake Primary School are on your case!

School Speedwatch is being used up and down the country as a way of educating drivers to slow down. Motorists caught speeding can either choose to accept a fine or a grilling from schoolchildren.

Police with laser speed detection devices were joined by Year 6 pupils from Delaware and Gunnislake primary schools last week in the first school speedwatch to take place in the Callington area.

The road outside Delaware Primary School was chosen as police have received numerous complaints about speeding along that stretch of the A390, which is 30mph.

Callington Sgt Brett Phillips said both groups of children had a chance to collect data and question the motorists: 'Five people were stopped and asked some very good questions by the children,' he said.

'They were asked questions like why they were driving over the speed limit? and how would they feel if they knocked over one of the children?

'As well as bringing it home to drivers about the need to slow down, speedwatch is a good learning exercise for the kids. It educates them for the future and they can take the message home to their own parents. It also helps us to form links with young people.'

Sgt Phillips said the reaction from the drivers who were stopped was mostly one of embarassment and it had been shown in studies elsewhere in the country that this sort of approach had worked in slowing down motorists.

'School speedwatch is an alternative to prosecution but ultimately if people carry on speeding they will be prosecuted,' added the sergeant.