POLICE targeted speeding motorists on a notorious stretch of road after calls from children and teenagers at a youth centre.

The group of 80 from Oswaldtwistle Youth Club, based at the community centre in Harvey Street, talked over their concerns about the speed of motorists along Harvey Street with the Neighbourhood Policing Team.

They told Police Community Support Officer Rikki Gallacher that some of their friends had been injured in collisions.

And as a result, officers placed a speed identification device in Harvey Street, which monitored the speed of motorists travelling towards Thwaites Road on Thursday morning.

PCSO Gallacher stood by the device, which flashes the vehicles speeds, and radioed through the details to of any vehicle above 34 miles an hour to PC Richie Thompson in a layby further along the street.

Lee MacNeall, 19, said: “Some cars come at 40mph when it is a 30mp zone.

“The issue is the safety of the people as well as motorists. Something needs to be done, maybe islands or humps to slow drivers down.” PC Thompson said: “We want to make people aware of the potentially tragic conse-quences of reckless and irresponsible driving.

"It is a notorious road. There have been two serious accidents.

“This information has come from local children and I hope that this operation sends a strong message about the impact of driving danger-ously.”

County Coun Matthew Tomlinson, responsible for road safety, said: “I am pleased this was a direct result of young people in the area.”