VANDALS have attacked an electronic road sign at Winkleigh which warns motorists when they are driving too fast.

Now Devon County Council and Devon and Cornwall Police have warned that vandalising this new type of road sign could put lives at risk.

The electronic interactive road sign at Winkleigh, which flashes up the correct speed if motorists are driving too fast, was badly damaged by vandals overnight on Sunday, October 5.

The signs are a new initiative introduced in response to a survey carried out by the North Devon and Torridge Community Safety Partnerships.

The survey showed fear of speeding vehicles and the potential of being involved in a road accident caused greater anxiety than crimes such as burglary.

The signs do not film speeding motorists or lead to prosecution, but are used to act as an effective reminder to drivers — who may not realise how fast they are travelling — to slow down.

Executive council member for the environment, Cllr David Morrish, said: 'This is a surprising and disappointing setback, as so far Devon County Council has received remarkably good responses from local communities about these signs.

'Residents feel that they help alleviate speed problems in areas where whole communities can feel threatened by speeding vehicles.

'It is distressing when a reckless act of vandalism is carried out without a second thought for the consequences and the lives that are being put at risk. I hope that the offenders will be caught and made to pay for the full costs.'

Repair work costing around £500, which will have to come out of this year's budget, means that other communities will have to wait longer for their signs.

Police road safety officer MPC Jon Benson, said: 'These signs are for the safety of all road users. The consequence of these signs being vandalised could result in somebody losing their life.'

Statistics show speeding drivers have more crashes and contribute to around 1,200 deaths and 100,000 injuries a year in the UK — 69% per cent of car drivers exceed the 30mph limit.

Any information about this incident should be reported to Devon and Cornwall Police on 08452 777444.