Members of the public have been shown how to use speed guns

They will now be able to monitor how fast vehicles are travelling and report the information back to police.

A force spokesman said the move was designed to respond to concerns it had received about the speed of vehicles in a number of locations in the region.

He added that police would not hesitate to carry out enforcement action if speeding problems persisted.

Community volunteers have recently undergone training in the use of speed guns.

'Enforcement action'

Sgt Garey Miller said: "Complaints regarding the speed of vehicles travelling through built up areas across Annandale and Eskdale have frequently been raised by members of the public and community councils.

"This scheme will give community volunteers, who have undergone the appropriate training, an opportunity to take ownership of a particular speeding problem in their area.

"They can monitor the speeds of vehicles with a view to further intervention if a speeding problem is identified.

"If a speeding problem continues to persist in a built up area then we will not hesitate to use enforcement action.