You are out driving and you spot someone wearing high-vis holding a speed radar by the side of the road. What do you do?

Any reasonable driver would check his or her dashboard and make sure they are travelling at a safe and legal speed.

And that's the idea behind a new Community Speedwatch group in Attleborough, one of 18 such groups set up across Breckland.

Chief Inspector Paul Wheatley, District Commander for Breckland, said: 'Speedwatch is a fantastic deterrent. It's really about the community helping to combat the issues in their neighbourhood. We've had numerous complaints over the last few months about speeding issues around Attleborough and this will help us deal with those issues.'

Speedwatch volunteers use a speed radar to record drivers' speed at predetermined spots in 30mph and 40mph zones.

Vehicles clocked travelling at 10pc plus two miles above the speed limit - for example, 35mph in a 30mph zone - are recorded and a warning letter is sent to the registered keeper.

If two warning letters are sent out to the same person, the police's traffic department is notified and officers pay particular attention to the vehicle.

Tony Crouch, the co-ordinator of the new Attleborough group, said he would be happy if they did not have to report a single driver.

He said Speedwatch was a 'great idea' for the town.

Mr Crouch said: 'This is the best deterrent there is.'

'The town is growing and there are more children and elderly people who we need to protect.

'Hopefully the community will see why this has been set up and get behind us.'

Mr Crouch said the group had eight sites registered around the town, with another five under consideration.

He said new volunteers who were willing to give at least two hours a month were welcome to join, and could register their interest by emailing attleboroughspeedwatch@gmail.com .

He said: 'We are always looking for new people to join and hopefully make the roads safer.'

Ch Insp Wheatley said he also wanted to encourage more Community Speedwatch schemes across the area.

He said: 'If you have speeding problems in your village then please get in contact and we will help you set a Speedwatch up.'