VILLAGERS living along the A140 who are campaigning for a bypass gave the police a rough ride during a public meeting last night – for not making their lives more bearable by enforcing tough speed limits enough on the killer road.

By John Howard

VILLAGERS living along the A140 who are campaigning for a bypass gave the police a rough ride during a public meeting last night - for not making their lives more bearable by enforcing tough speed limits enough on the killer road.

Residents are fighting for the stretch of road between Creeting Bottoms and Stonham Parva in mid Suffolk to be bypassed at a cost of £6 million and have formed a pressure group to lobby local county councillors, their Conservative MP Sir Michael Lord, and the Labour Government.

More than 40 people have been killed on the section of road between the A14 and Scole since 1990 and last night residents met at Stonham Parva's chapel community centre to discuss the way forward and hear from the police.

Residents told Sgt Colin Teager, who has 18 years experience policing roads, that not enough was being done to enforce the speed limits locally, which range from 30-50mph.

They urged him to let the Constabulary know that they wanted more officers out with handheld cameras in the village to cut speed and make their lives more tolerable while they start the long fight for a bypass.

One resident said: "You never see a policemen with an handheld speed gun by the A140, people just do not fear seeing the police in our villages.''

But Sgt Teager said: "The A140 gets more attention from mobile cameras than other places. We can't enforce every speed limit every day of the week.''

Residents want to see a package of measures to improve their quality of life along the road, including enforcing speed limits, increased 30mph limits and kill your speed signs and a bypass sooner rather than later.

Tony Fowler, who has lived at Earl Stonham for more than ten years and represents the Stonhams as a Mid Suffolk district councillor, has been elected chairman of the newly launched A140 Action Group Committee.

Mr Fowler said last night: "A planned bypass was on the urgent list to be given priority as far back as 1992. The poor souls who live along this road have their lives blighted by traffic.

"All the money for major road improvements has been allocated for the next ten years, but we are trying to push for a rethink. A bypass would transform villagers lives, a sense of community would return.''