SPEEDING drivers found themselves with a new enemy this morning, a group of pensioners determined to make them slow down.

Elderly residents of Boulmer Court sheltered accommodation in Chester-le-Street, several of them aged in their 90s, took to the pavements armed with speed detectors.

The old folk need to cross the busy South Approach to reach the bus stop to take them to the town centre shops, but say speeding cars make it a struggle.

After the problem was mentioned at a coffee morning, the residents decided to do something about it and called in PCSO Holly Hirst from the Chester-le-Street neighbourhood policing team.

Between them they set up this morning’s roadside patrol under the Community Speedwatch initiative.

Within the first hour, the pensioners had clocked half a dozen motorists driving over the speed limit, who may be sent a letter warning them about their behaviour.

Among Boulmer Court’s 50 residents, who took it in shifts to operate the Speed Indication Display Unit, was Violet Tindale. The 88-year-old, who has lived at Boulmer Court for 12 years, said: "You can stand for ten minutes trying to get over the road when the traffic is flying down - its quite a job to get to the bus stop".

PCSO Hirst added: "Community Speedwatch is all about raising awareness of speed limits on particular stretches of road where we know there have been problems in the past.

"In this case I attended a residents meeting at Boulmer Court where the residents said their main concern was vehicles speeding along South Approach near to their homes.

"When I suggested that Community Speedwatch might prove useful they were really keen to get involved."

Drivers clocked by the pensioners cannot be prosecuted, but may receive warning letters advising them they were found to be driving too fast.