Police plan crackdown on nuisance and speeding drivers

ANTI-SOCIAL driving, dog fouling and yobbish behaviour have been ranked the top priorities for police action by Seaton people.

Officers quizzed 266 local residents about their concerns, at various locations in the town, last month.

Nuisance driving was a clear winner, with 31 per cent calling for a crackdown on offenders.

Neighbourhood beat manager PC Daz Norton said he was not surprised it topped the list.

He said: “The number of complaints about speeding and anti-social driving has increased over the last few months. We have now drawn up action plans to combat these issues and the local beat team, with the help of the Special Constabulary, will not hesitate to issue fixed penalty notices and Section 59 notices where appropriate.

“We have already issued two section 59 notices in the last week – these are written warnings to drivers caught driving anti-socially and if they are caught again within 12 months their vehicle could be seized.”

PC Norton said the neighbourhood team will be carrying out various operations in the coming months, including speed checks. Problem areas they will target include Harepath Road, Beer Road, the Undefleet, Seaton Down Hill, Harepath Hill and Colyford Road.

He said they would also be taking action on dog fouling – which was ranked top priority by 19 per cent of those surveyed – and anti social behaviour/alcohol related crime, which was the main concern for 18 per cent.

But PCSO Chris Bolsover said the good news was that

underage drinking was no longer one of the main concerns.

He said: “Last year it was the top one. I think this reflects the hard work that the neighbourhood beat team has put in to targeting the issue, and this is backed up by the significant reduction in both the number of incidents reported to us and the amount of alcohol we have seized in the last seven months.”

Other issues raised during the survey included the need for a footpath on Harepath Hill, parking at St Gregory’s Court, parking charges on the seafront, children’s’ scooters and littering.