SPEEDING traffic through the villages of Hanley Castle and Hanley Swan will now be monitored with a new vehicle-activated sign that has just been put in place.

The sign, currently installed on the B4209 westwards towards the crossroads in the centre of Hanley Swan, but it can be moved around to cover problem roads elsewhere in the parish.

Its purchase was partly funded by a donation of £1,200 from the Hanley Swan Market, a community market which is held each month at the village hall.

The remainder of the cost, some £2,000, was provided by Hanley Castle Parish Council, which covers both villages.

The new sign is an improvement on the sign that was previously used, because as well as flashing to drivers who are breaching the 40mph limit, it can also record speed data, which can then be used to review speeding and potentially provide evidence if further traffic-calming methods are requested in the future.

Market committee member Sarah Darwen said: "Although we started the process a long time ago, this is a timely addition to the village considering the recent concerns raised over speeding and has been a great opportunity to work collaboratively to support the parish council in providing practical speeding control measures for the villages."

Other roads where it is planned to be used include the B4211 at Hanley Castle.

Hanley Swan Market has raised over £14,000 for the local community during the last ten years and given money to everything from the local nursery to pay for play equipment to setting up a book bursary for local students.

It relies on a dedicated group of stall holders, customers and committee members to bring the community-focused market and cafe to life and raise the money for local good causes. The next market is on Saturday, March 25, at the village hall in Welland Road from 9.30am to noon.