FURTHER to the letters from Sylvia Crocker (April 11) and Terry Shopland (April 18), the stretch of the old A30 from Bidlake Manor to Cross Lanes is indeed appallingly dangerous.

It is not only narrow but also twisty and in places visibility is little more than 50 yards.

In wet weather a car, let alone a large lorry, would need to be travelling at less than 50 mph in order to stop safely if there was an unexpected obstruction in the road.

This is no longer an 'A' or even a 'B' road and ought to be available to local people to use on foot or riding a bicycle or horse in perfect safety.

The provision of a speed limit might not be much help as people would simply disregard it and the police do not have the manpower to enforce it. Although there has recently been talk of handheld speed cameras being used by members of the general public.

The major nuisance, however, comes from motorbikes at weekends which use the road as a racetrack.

Indeed it is, or was, listed on the internet as a place where high speeds could be attained and where 'the fuzz' were unlikly to be encountered. Unbelievable but true!

Perhaps some severe rumble strips might unseat a few of them before they kill a walker or rider, or worse still, a horse!

Neon Reynolds, Close Hill Bridestowe

AS a follow-on from recent correspondence regarding the dangers of speeding traffic on the old A30 between Combebow and Bridestowe, I would like to recount the following incident.

About two weeks ago, on a wet Sunday morning, two horse-riders had just turned off that same stretch of road into a farm lane. A minute later a motor bike came past travelling at least between 80 and 90 mph.

Believe me, I do not exaggerate, I was one of those riders. This motor bike had been nowhere in sight as we crossed the road. Had we been one minute later or even less the consequences could have been disastrous if not fatal.

Sooner rather than later there will be someone who will not be as lucky as we were.

Terry Shopland

Endean

Launceston Road

Bridestowe

I REFER to Mrs Crocker's letter of April 11 and the further comment by Terry Shopland on April 18.

First, may I correct a misunderstanding; the residents of Vale Down are delighted to have a 40 mph limit. What we seek is enforcement. It is others who seek to remove it.

If the stretch of road Mrs Crocker refers to is technically a single carriageway, then heavy goods vehicles should not exceed 40mph. The same as Vale Down with its limit. In the absence of any other help I have written to one company who were most helpful and their vehicles have slowed down. We shall now extend that effort.

Knowing the police lack of manpower we have suggested adopting the policy of Avon and Somerset Police using civilian volunteers. Unfortunately that has been rejected. Perhaps if people from other areas add their please to ours we may change that.

A ray of hope. Visiting Plymouth recently I saw a report in the evening paper that police had caught 658 motorists speeding in a 40mph area in two weeks, 110 in one day alone. Five police visits of three to four hours each. The reported police quote was 'We will repeat the procedure . . . until people start taking heed of the law'.

Perhaps we could have one car and two policemen for this area? Moving from place to place they would soon cover their cost.

A J Wroath

Vale Down, Lydford