A MOTORIST who raced along at 91mph in a 30-zone on a busy Bradford road was caught as part of a police crackdown on speeding - described by a councillor as the "Bradford phenomenon".

Officers have been out and about on Bradford's roads trying to crack down on drivers exceeding speed limits.

The motorist doing three times the limit was clocked two weeks ago on Great Horton Road, said a police spokesman. Officers had been stationed on the road as a result of complaints from members of the public about speeding on Great Horton Road.

Seven motorists were also snared for speeding on one of Bradford's busiest roads in a two-hour period on Sunday, say police.

Officers carried out speeding checks on the city centre-bound side of Manchester Road, Little Horton, between 8pm and 10pm.

In that time, seven drivers were caught breaking the 30mph limit - with the slowest of the seven clocking 51mph. The fastest speed recorded was 61mph.

A police spokesman said three of the motorists will go before the courts in the near future, while the other four were given Traffic Offence Reports. They must now wait to hear from police if any further action will be taken.

Councillor Alyas Karmani (Ind, Little Horton) said: "It is completely unacceptable.

"I think this is a bit of a Bradford phenomenon, with young drivers in particular in fast cars behaving as young people do, unaware of the consequences unless there is a fatality.

"We need education alongside enforcement."

Fellow Little Horton councillor Naveeda Ikram (Lab) said: "I welcome this operation. It is good for the safety of our children and of residents.

"But it is important that we are not just looking out for people who live in this area. This is an indication of how chaotic and fateful things could be at those speeds.

"Let's hope that people learn from this. We want people to be safe."

Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for Brake, the road safety charity, said: "Speed limits exist for a reason – they save lives. To see drivers completely disregarding the rules of the road and putting everyone else in danger is disappointing.

"It is proven beyond doubt that higher speeds result in more casualties, no matter how much the limit is broken by, which is why we urge all drivers to treat speed limits as limits, not targets.

"However, it is encouraging to see the police taking action to clamp down on those recklessly putting lives at risk."

Cllr Ikram added: "It also raises concern about high insurance in Bradford, and I think this is something that drivers should look at with conscience.

"Lower insurance can only happen if people drive with responsibility and care. If we lessen the number of accidents and more people drive safely on the roads, I am sure we can have safer streets and lower insurance.

"But it can only happen if the whole community and city come together."

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