The North Wales Police Community Speedwatch scheme has been given a boost with new detection devices.

It has received funding from Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin's Innovate to Grow scheme.

The funding has been used to purchase three new detection devices to help volunteers monitor the speed of vehicles travelling through their communities.

The Community Speedwatch scheme aims to raise awareness about speeding and promote road safety.

Detection devices are used by volunteers to check the speed of vehicles and record those going over the speed limit.

This information is then shared with North Wales Police, who may follow up with educational letters to the registered owners of the speeding vehicles.

The initiative plans to encourage responsible driving to reduce accidents in the community.

The new detection devices will be used in communities in North Wales, including Llanferres and Henllan in the Vale of Clwyd.

Mr Dunbobbin visited the Community Speedwatch team at their base in the GoSafe Unit at North Wales Police Divisional HQ in St Asaph on November 13 to meet staff and find out about how the scheme works in reducing speed and making communities safer in North Wales.

He said: "Road safety is a crucial part of my Police and Crime Plan.

"Road safety protects lives and schemes like this will hopefully help prevent potential road accidents before they happen.

"Many of these incidents can be prevented through awareness and education, and that is why funding projects such as this is extremely important to me as Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales."

During his visit, Mr Dunbobbin discovered that the scheme's effectiveness is encouraging people to slow down, around 90 per cent of drivers who receive a letter from Community Speedwatch do not receive another one.

John Morris, Community Speedwatch manager said: "Community Speedwatch (CSW) is a national initiative where, in partnership with the police, members of communities use detection devices to monitor local vehicle speeds.

"The volunteers report drivers exceeding the speed limit to the police with the aim of educating drivers to slow down.

"Community Speedwatch does not result in prosecution itself.

"However, if a persistent speeding driver is identified through the scheme, police can use this evidence to act against them if required.

"If there is a persistent general speeding issue where highway improvements are required, such as speedbumps, the relevant agency will be contacted.

"To enable our volunteers to carry out their role effectively it’s vital that they have the correct equipment, and we are most grateful for the NWP PCC Andy Dunbobbin for providing us with three handheld speed detection devices for use by our teams of volunteers in communities, towns and cities across North Wales which will assist us greatly in changing driver behaviour and reducing those killed and seriously injured on our roads."

With new communities regularly joining the programme, the project is growing throughout North Wales.