A sign indicating the speed of vehicles travelling through a Suffolk village has been credited with driving down the number of motorists exceeding the limit.

The mobile Speed Indication Display, known by the acronym SID, has been hailed for helping to cut speeding through Hollesley, near Woodbridge.

Soon after its installation at the beginning of the year, the SID observed more than three quarters of vehicles exceeding the 30mph limit in a week at one end of the village, with one in five going faster than 40mph.

But, in the last month, just one in every 20 vehicles was recorded travelling faster than 35mph on the stretch of road opposite the village the playing field entrance.

James Mallinder, parish councillor with responsibility for highways and planning, said some drivers continued to ignore the limit – with 35 vehicles caught doing at least 50mph in September – but that the majority had driven lawfully through the village.

“The SID has been brilliant,” he added.

“We now have five or six posts around Hollesley for the sign to be used on a rota system.

“Wherever it’s positioned, it reminds people to be better drivers in the rest of the village.

“We made an effort in the last year to take charge of road safety. It has led to us getting new 30mph signs and markings to create the perception of the road narrowing.

“We still have an ongoing issue of speeding – particularly among commercial vehicles. Some people will break the limit whatever; others just need a reminder.

“If we see persistent speeding in an area, we can then pass that data to police and the highways authority to consider restrictions and possible speed checks.”

The £3,000 mobile sign was paid for with money from local fundraising, and donations from the budgets of county councillor Andrew Reid and district councillor Christine Block.

Mr Mallinder thinks Suffolk should learn from the example of other parts of the country, where local authorities have bought the signs in bulk to give away or sell at a reduced cost to parishes.

“This is a really successful acquisition for us, but it’s not consistent with consistent with parishes that can request a sign from the county council,” he said.

“I recommend the SID to other parishes, and have discussed with Boyton and Bawdsey [nearby villages] the cost of supplier and possibility of borrowing ours.”