A DRIVER was captured travelling at more than twice the speed limit on a busy road in Bradford during police checks.

Officers with a mobile speed camera checked vehicles using the 30mph Manchester Road and caught one motorist doing 63mph.

Other drivers caught included ones travelling at 56mph, 55mph and 53mph. Police said all the drivers caught were stopped at the roadside and issued with notices of intended prosecution.

The operation which took place last Sunday has been welcomed by ward councillors who are worried that pedestrians and other motorists could be killed by dangerous driving.

Councillor Alyas Karmani (Ind, Little Horton) said: "We need to get a message across and it needs to be hard-hitting.

"The thing with these roads, like Smiddles Lane and Manchester Road, is that there have been fatalities on them. The community needs to get on board. People have been killed and lives have been shattered."

Cllr Karmani said educating "irresponsible young drivers" was important, adding: "These young drivers need to know this is not just messing about in your car. It is something that can cause loss of life."

On the latest speeding offences, Cllr Karmani said: "It is very dangerous, that goes without saying. It is good that we are clamping down on these drivers."

Councillor Taj Mubarik Salam (Lab, Little Horton) said of speeding on Manchester Road: "It is a massive concern. One of the main concerns for us is that there are crossings all the way down, from Mayo Avenue to Bowling Old Lane, and I have seen drivers whizzing through red lights.

"If there is a mother with a baby in a pram and another youngster at her side, trying to cross the road, there could be an incident."

On drivers travelling at more than twice the 30mph speed limit, Cllr Salam said: "There is no excuse for that whatsoever - none whatsoever. They should be brought forward to justify their actions."

Cllr Salam said he believed better signage might deter drivers from going too fast.

"It is a concern for myself and my colleagues, and for people in the area, because it is a dual carriageway and it has not got any speed signs. It is a 30mph zone but when the guide-way was erected in the middle of the road, no speed signs were put up.

"Most people will know the rules of the road, but how do you tell these youngsters? These people have powerful cars and put their foot down. I have observed it myself."

Alice Bailey, of road safety charity Brake, said: "Breaking the speed limit by any amount is a serious offence, but drivers who travel well above the speed limit are taking huge risks and are putting themselves and other potentially vulnerable road users in grave danger.

"At very high speeds, crashes are much more likely to be fatal and this sort of selfish behaviour warrants strong action.

"At Brake, we see every day the devastating impact road crashes caused by speeding have on families and communities across the county.

"We have speed limits for a reason, to try and keep all road users as safe as possible. That's why we need traffic enforcement to be made a national policing priority, as well as higher on-the-spot fines and tougher sentencing to provide a real deterrent to risky law-breaking drivers."