A MAN trying to lower the driving limit on his street has built his own 'speed camera' using a Twitter bot - that tweets every time a vehicle exceeds 55mph.

Gareth Rees and locals living on Reading Road have been campaigning for safety improvements along the 40mph stretch for years.

But fed-up of waiting Gareth decided to take matters into his own hands - and built his own 'speed camera'.

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He uses a computer programme which takes data sourced from iOS and Android GPS tracking systems - the same information used by traffic apps.

Gareth, 49, of Finchampstead, says the bot has been tweeting constantly since it was set up - with one driver clocked as high as 76mph.

He said: "There's at least one every 10 minutes.

"It only tweets when it detects speeds of more than 55mph, and samples data every eight to 10 minutes, so I'm sure it misses loads of speeders."

Gareth told the BBC he created the bot to highlight the safety of pedestrians, school children, cyclists and horse riders in the village.

He and his neighbours have asked the council and Thames Valley Police to consider "appropriate" safety measures on the road.

These include a safe crossing for school children and lowering the speed limit to 30mph.

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A spokesman for local force Thames Valley Police said it "delivers targeted enforcement and education, providing a deterrent designed to make roads safer".

Wokingham Borough Council has agreed to put in two speed indicator advisory signs.