MOTORISTS speeding at up to 90 mph on a stretch of the A39 through West Somerset could be avoiding prosecution because of mud-covered road signs.

Concern was raised by members of a road safety group set up by the parish council in Holford, between Kilve and Nether Stowey.

The group was set up to ‘explore the issues experienced by residents and visitors to Holford when using the parish roads’.

It operates two speed indicator devices (SIDs) bought by the council and takes monthly readings to provide data which the police can use to target their enforcement.

A spokesperson said Avon and Somerset Constabulary enforcement officers were welcomed to the village on a regular basis with their speed cameras.

But they said: “The condition of road signs between Kilve and Nether Stowey gives rise to concern as many are damaged or too dirty to be clearly visible.

“As most of these are mandatory speed signs, drivers are unlikely to be prosecuted if detected.”

A police spokesperson told the Free Press: “We regularly get signs checked by enforcement officers to assess whether they are damaged, missing, or dirty to the point they are unreadable.

“If this is the case, and drivers/riders may be unable to recognise what the speed limit is, we report back to the local authority and suspend the site from an enforcement perspective until the issue is rectified.”

The spokesperson said the responsibility for maintaining road signs rested with Somerset Council as the local highways authority.

They said: “In built-up areas, we would recommend drivers/riders to presume it is a 20 mph limit unless signs show otherwise.”

A community speedwatch group checking how fast motorists were driving through Holford in the month to January 17 recorded 139 vehicles averaging more than 60 mph and with the top speed shown by a SID being 90 mph.