SPEED campaigners in Brancepeth are a step closer to success, after the police decided not to oppose a 30mph limit.

Durham County Council has been drawing up plans to cut the 40mph maximum on the A690 through the village since March, but residents feared the proposal doomed due to police objections.

However, a Durham Police spokeswoman has confirmed the force will not fight the scheme.

She said: "We have listened to the concerns of members of the Brancepeth community with regard to the speed limit and when the formal consultation takes place the force will not be opposing the proposed reduction to 30mph."

The speed campaign gained momentum last year, when pensioner Ellen Hendry was knocked down and died after getting off a bus.

Bob Chapman, from the campaign, said: "Villagers are delighted about the police decision, but the insist a speed limit without some enforcement would be a complete waste of time."

The police are considering introducing a Speed Watch scheme, which could see residents involved in monitoring the new limit.

Mr Chapman said: "I would like to see the police enforce it themselves."

He added speeding through Brancepeth had fallen since last year, but about 10 per cent of traffic still exceeded the 40mph limit.

"I think driver behaviour has changed. But we recognise speeding persists. Some people seem to think it’s a nice straight road and their speed is frightening."

A Durham County Council spokesman said if no objections to the reduced speed limit were received from the parish council or elsewhere, the authority would advertise the change within four to six weeks, with a view to implementing works in the summer.