A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of looking after my sister’s dog (a most handsome little pooch!) and this necessitated an early morning walk along Ravens Bank, the main road through the village.
I was absolutely astonished at the speeds of some of the vehicles travelling through the village at this time.
I have never previously walked this route at this time of day and, over the years, have heard many accounts from residents of this road regarding this issue. They underplayed it!
Some of these vehicles must have been reaching speeds well in excess of 70mph, let alone the 40mph speed limit along this particular stretch of the village.
I am aware that people in positions of authority like to question how someone could possibly assign a speed without some sort of formal calibration gadget, but an individual is aware of ‘air-turbulence’ making/knocking them slightly off balance.
I wonder if, and would like to challenge, the Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police would care to do something about this?
The time frame in question is between 6am and 7am, a time when I know the night shift just wants to go home and the day shift doesn’t yet want to leave the station until they have had cups of tea, etc.
I am also aware that the police don’t particularly care about ‘victims’ ie. the residents whose homes are blighted by this, and following a letter of mine published in The Voice on March 23 this year.
Indeed, not only do they not care, but they also don’t care that the public are aware that they don’t care!
Apparently, this past week the silence has been deafening whilst the road has been closed for works.
So, Chief Constable, how about some of this ‘working for all sections of the community’ that you are so keen to continually promulgate, being directed towards our village and instigate a speed check at this time of day.
You will have an absolute plethora of transgressors to catch, as keeping within the speed limit is certainly a minority occurrence.
I am not so naïve as to not realise that this piddling little county (in policing terms) and its people are a mere steeping stone for you in your career path towards an appointment as a senior grade chief constable (or assistant commissioner in the Met, which is the same thing), but perhaps you could see your way clear to actually do something on this occasion.
We often hear senior police officers stating that the public are our eyes and ears, so here is some ‘intel’. Please now act on it.
Finally, it appears that our ward parish councillors, to whom residents should be able to turn to for some form of lobbying and support, are entirely conspicuous by their wholesale absence, perhaps a case of ‘I don’t want to do, I just want to be, so that it reads councillor, on my wonderful CV’.
Tony Bown
Whaplode St Catherine
