Villagers unite against speeders

The Mayfield Safe Lanes Project aims to reduce motorists' speeds when driving in the area.

The project, which has the full support of the parish council, would be the first scheme of its kind to be operated in a village.

A spokesman for the campaign said that ideas from parishioners on how best to drive the project were welcome.

Spokesperson Jayne Bramwell, who is also a parish councillor, said: 'Traffic using the lanes around Mayfield can legally travel at 60mph.

'We cannot change the law but if we work together we can influence drivers to respect other road users and drive more responsibly.

'It is time to change attitudes and bring down speeds so that the lanes and streets are safe for walkers, riders and cyclists of all ages to use.

'Most crashes in East Sussex occur on the bends of country lanes.

'We need far more contact from people to take this project forward. We will be contacting local businesses to get them to sign up to it. We will be getting them to promise to drive respectfully and considerately around the village.

'We will be producing posters to be put outside people's houses in the lanes and we will be handing leaflets out in village. But we need a lot more ideas and we need idea people.'

Mrs Bramwell added: 'Keith Sinden, of East Sussex County Council, said that schemes using slogans such as "Kill Your Speed" had been operated in towns but had never been done in a village.

'He is looking to find a village to take up the scheme and make it their own. If we could get it off the ground there wouldn't be a village in East Sussex that wouldn't want to be involved.'

If the scheme is to go ahead, some fund-raising will have to take place within the community.

But Mrs Bramwell, of Newick Drive, said it would be worth the investment. 'I took an 18-month first aid course because I was so frightened about the number of accidents outside my house,' she said.