MOTORISTS who drive too fast along Bridport's West Bay Road are being warned to slow down by a flashing sign.

The new speed indicator is the latest weapon in residents' on going fight to stop drivers using the road as a racetrack.

Town Councillor Gill Fifield who lives in the area has been leading a campaign to persuade people to keep to the 30mph limit.

A recent county council survey showed that thousands of motorists break the speed limit along the road every day.

Checks carried out during seven days in August clocked an astonishing 15 per cent of drivers going over 37mph.

The daily average of motorists exceeding the 30mph limit was more than 5,400. Of these some 440 were going faster than 40mph, with speeds of up to 55mph being recorded.

This week Coun Fifield was joined by West Dorset Lib Dems' parliamentary spokeswoman Justine McGuinness to inspect the new speed indicator sign (SID) which will stay up for a week.

Said Ms McGuinness : "I know that local residents are very concerned about speeding. This sign clearly is having an impact and encouraging drivers to slow down."

Said Coun Fifield: "Speeding drivers on West Bay Road makes it very difficult for local residents to exit safely from drives and to turn out of Wanderwell and Roundham Gardens.

"The problem is particularly bad in the summer holidays and at weekends when visitors are not aware of the speed limit."

Coun Fifield said that unfortunately the law barred them from putting up 30mph repeater signs because there were street lights along the road.

The County Council had painted ladder marks down the centre of the road to try and slow traffic but these had proved mostly ineffective.

But Coun Fifield said the flashing speed light seemed to do the trick. "I have witnessed cars breaking as they approach the sign. I just hope drivers will remember the speed limit once the sign is removed." She added.

Ms McGuinness said that Liberal Democrats in Bridport would continue to campaign for a more permanent solution to the problem of speeding cars.