MOTORISTS arriving in a South Lakeland village are to be greeted with a smile or frown on their arrival from today, and it will all depend on their speed.

Two speed indicators are to become a permanent fixture of Milnthorpe, with one being installed at Church Street and the other at Beetham Road.

The devices will show drivers their speed as they enter the village, and will either beam back a smile or a snarl depending on whether they are within or above the 30mph speed limit.

Peter Capasso, vice chairman of Milnthorpe Parish Council, said: "We hope these will get people to come into village at the right speed, rather than using it as a landing strip where they can slow down.

"We have a speed limit and you expect people to adhere to it but they don't always do that."

Figures released this week showed Cumbria was a speeding hotspot. According to data released by the Home Office. 86 fixed penalty notices for speeding were issued per 1000 people in the county in 2016. That compares to an England and Wales average of 36 notices per 1000 people.

The figures also showed that compared to 2015, the issuing of fixed penalty notices for speeding had risen by 16 per cent. Nationally, it rose by just one per cent.

Cllr Roger Bingham, a Milnthorpe parish councillor who is also the county councillor for a neighbouring area which includes Endmoor, where such signs have been installed for some time, said: "These signs have been very effective in reducing the speed along the A65.

“These for Milnthorpe, which is even busier, are much needed and will be welcomed by the whole community.”

The speed indicators have been paid for through donations from Tarmac Sandside Quarry. Quarry manager Jilly Mounsey said: “The quarry has been a feature of the area for decades and we try to be a good neighbour.

"We listened to feedback from the community and recognised that donating speed indicators would provide some reassurance to residents about vehicles on the road through Milnthorpe, so we were happy to be able to support the parish council with this important project."