A MOVE to tackle speeding motorists in the rural villages of the Ribble Valley was backed by 50 parish councillors last night.

But Insp Bob Ford from Clitheroe police, who attended the meeting to outline a police initiative to trap speeding motorists, said he often wondered whether the public supported such work.

He said: "It's very tempting to do nothing about this issue.

"We are damned if we do and damned if we don't."

Over the coming months, the police driver of the mobile police station in the Ribble Valley will carry out speed checks in the villages using a hand-held speed gun.

The new initiative has been introduced following a high number of complaints to police from villagers about speeding through villagers, Mr Ford said.

Data from the police initiative will be made available to parish councils and Lancashire County Council.

It will prove whether there is a problem in particular areas or whether villagers perception of speed is wrong, Mr Ford said.

But he added there had been problems enforcing speed limits in the past.

He said: "When we enforced a 30mph limit in Simonstone the vast majority of people who were prosecuted were local people, so of course we were castigated."

But the police plans were backed by the majority of councillors.

Coun Charles Warkman of Mellor Parish Council, said: "In Mellor we don't like that you have to prove that you have had serious accidents to get safety measures.

"What we like about this is that you are doing something before accidents.

"Insp Ford is on the right lines.

"We are very pleased that he is about to take something on and he has to be congratulated for that."

Coun Alan Schofield of Clayton-le-Dale Parish Council, told Insp Ford: "You are doing something in the community that the community want you do to."

However, Frank Priest of Longridge Parish Council, said: "The cameras are intensely unpopular.

"I think the reason for this is the grade of penalty for minor transgressions is too high."

Martin Galloway, from the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership outlined plans for a new speed indication device which will display a happy face if the motorist is within the speed limit and a frowning face if the motorist was above it.

This measure was welcomed by councillors.