Speeding by cars on our roads is a serious issue with potentially fatal consequences for innocent victims if foot-to-the-floor motorists cause an accident.

However, there is nothing more likely to split public opinion than the introduction of 'safety cameras' on a stretch of road.

Some see such cameras as cracking down on bad and dangerous driving - others may view them as a highly-intrusive nuisance and a facet of Big Brother authoritarian control.

So it will be interesting to see public reaction to plans by county councillor Clare Feeney-Johnson and the police to set up a team of volunteers armed with hand-held speed guns to catch speeders on some of Kendal's busiest roads.

A plea for volunteers has been made. They will be trained by police to operate hand-held speed guns to be used to track motorists at Aynam Road and part of Valley Drive.

Motorists caught speeding cannot be prosecuted but their car registration numbers will be passed on to police, who will write to the drivers. Persistent 'offenders' will receive a visit by police, who will warn them about their behaviour.

A similar scheme launched in Endmoor in 2014 caught 156 vehicles speeding in its first six weeks. But volunteers reported they received abuse from some drivers, who did not take warmly to their peers standing in the street recording their speed.

Police admit they no longer have the resources to tackle all speeding issues head on.

But some people might raise their eyebrows when they discover that Cumbria County Council does not judge speed on Aynam Road to warrant a fixed-point camera and that the most serious speeding happens with 'boy racers' in the early hours. It is unlikely the volunteers are going to be out and about at 1am to catch the serious speeders. That sounds like an issue for the police to crack down on without delay.

In the meantime volunteers are more likely to be welcomed if they are not over zealous and only pass on details of serious speeders.