CHILDREN'S lives are still being put at risk by speeding drivers in Whitchurch — despite thousands of pounds being spent on safety

measures in the area.

A 20mph zone with flashing lights was installed in the road outside the primary school last spring, but it seems drivers are ignoring the limits on the stretch of road described as a 'rat-run' for commuters.

Andrew Eagles, Devon school crossing officer, said he and lollipop lady Dawn Pugh watched traffic speeding by the school last Thursday morning.

Mr Eagles said: 'Cars were certainly going past at double the limit. It's the mornings that are the worst — motorists use the road as a rat-run.

'We have spent a lot of money as a county on road signing in Whitchurch.

'It's got the best lighting equipment, it's the finest example in Devon, but the motorists are taking no notice whatsoever of the advisory 20mph speed limit when the lights are flashing.'

Mr Eagles appealed to motorists to slow down when the lights are flashing at the beginning and end of the school day.

'I know people are in a hurry to get where they want to go, but we don't want a child to get injured,' he said.

Mrs Pugh said she was 'really concerned' about drivers speeding past the crossing.

'The majority, at least 80 to 90 per cent, are doing far more than 20mph,' she said.

'I know people are rushing and I try to keep traffic flowing as much as possible but they are just not keeping to the speed limit.

'Children can be so unpredictable — quite a few mums have toddlers with them and toddlers can be even more unpredictable.

'If anything happened at those speeds, they wouldn't stand a chance.'

Mrs Pugh said it was 'impossible' for drivers not to see her in her fluorescent yellow coat, or the flashing lights.

'When they first went up some did slow down but now they just don't bother,' she said.

Ricci Achillini, headteacher at Whitchurch Primary School, said he wasn't surprised drivers were still speeding in the area.

'Although we were very pleased the councillors managed to put in some measures, it wasn't what we had in mind.

'We would have liked some physical measures like speed humps, rumble strips or even a mini roundabout.'

Mr Achillini said that in major cities speed humps were used without any problems by buses and the emergency services.

'They spent thousands of pounds — one speed hump outside the school would have solved the whole thing,' he said.

But Paul Marshall, Devon County Council principal traffic engineer, said he had not received any complaints at all about speeding

He said: 'The work we've carried out in Whitchurch is of a very high standard and extremely visible to approaching motorists.

'We are trying to reach out to drivers' hearts and minds that this is a school environment and to drive at the appropriate speed.'

Mr Marshall said he and the police road safety officer would visit the site to identify if any action, such as speed monitoring, was required.

He said speed humps would not be safe and rumble strips would not be 'appropriate'.

'Rumble strips can be extremely noisy — we would never put them in a residential area,' he said.

Sgt Ian Woods, of Tavistock Police, said monitoring in the area is 'on-going', but appealed to motorists to kill their speed.

'The local traffic warden will be tasked with liaising with the school crossing patrol at Whitchurch. If people are speeding when approaching the school crossing, appropriate action will be taken by us,' said Sgt Woods.