More than 2,000 drivers were spotted speeding through a 20mph zone in the space of a week, after experimental cameras were put in place.

Eastern Daily Press: Traffic on West End in Costessey. Pic: Norfolk County Council.Traffic on West End in Costessey. Pic: Norfolk County Council. (Image: Norfolk County Council)

Costessey Town Council has long been trying to persuade the Speed and Safety Camera Partnership to install cameras along West End.

When permission was granted for the Northern Distributor Road, now known as Broadland Northway, the consent order stated that measures to minimise rat-running through areas such as Costessey must be approved.

But the order has yet to be written off, with Costessey Town Council wanting average speed cameras, but police and the speed and saftey camera partnership not supporting it.

Gary Blundell, a town councillor, took it open himself to demonstrate just what a problem speeding is. He worked with a local company to test cameras which recorded the speed and number plates of vehicles.

The mobile automatic number plate recognition system was used in West End from Friday, May 24 until Friday, May 31 and recorded more than 2,000 drivers speeding at 27mph or more.

It included 617 motorists who were spotted travelling between 31mph to 41mph and nine who were doing between 42mph and 47mph.

Mr Blundell said he planned to speak to police to see if mobile units could be bought and moved around Costessey to encourage drivers to slow down.

Tim East, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Costessey, said such cameras could be an alternative to the average speed cameras which the town council had wanted.

He said: "The trial has been successful.

"What we are asking Norfolk County Council now is whether they would agree to this as an alternative system and we are exploring whether the Speed and Safety Camera Partnership would need to validate it.

"The cameras definitely had a deterrent effect, so the next stage is to convince the county council of the veracity of this system."

Mr East said, if the systems could be used, it might also make it possible to get the Queen's Hills bus gate in use, for companies to run a service along West End and return to the city.

Presently, such a route is not attractive to bus companies as the county council and police have said it would require speed bumps.