POLICE are out checking for speeding cars on Ditchling Road in Brighton.

The force is clamping down on dangerous driving, and officers across Sussex are trying to catch irresponsible road users.

Under the coronavirus lockdown, 23,163 cars have been caught speeding, and the police said drivers have been “using the roads as a racetrack with no fear of reprimand”.

Specialist officers from Roads Policing Units will be joining speed-watch volunteers on the county’s roads this week.

On Tuesday, community speed-watch volunteers will be back out in force for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was implemented.

They will be joined by Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne on a roadside in Rushlake Green, a notorious 30mph zone where drivers have been clocked reaching speeds of up to 68mph.

Sussex Police is supporting a scheme called “Project Edward”, or Every Day Without A Road Death, which aims to stop people dying on the roads.

In Sussex last year, 3,857 crashes where someone was injured were reported to the police. Of these, 49 were fatal and 454 resulted in serious injury.

Community speed-watch schemes in Sussex will now be issuing stronger warning letters and working with the police to catch reckless drivers – leading to potential fines of £1,500-£2,000.