ACCIDENT analysts are mulling over plans to introduce a Community Road Watch scheme that involves members of the public reporting bad driving and near-misses on the notorious A590.

Police have said the idea could involve motorists calling a special phoneline to report dangerous or careless driving on the accident blackspot road, used every day by thousands of motorists.

Offending drivers who repeatedly come to the attention of the scheme would then be sent letters notifying them that their poor behaviour at the wheel had been noticed.

Chief Supt Rod Mackay, based at Kendal, said the idea followsed on from other community-led projects such as Farm Watch, Bar Watch and Offy Watch.

He said: "What we want to try to develop is a community road watch. Don't get too excited yet this is an idea we are talking about at the South Cumbria Casualty Reduction Partnership. It would give residents the opportunity to report near-misses and offending behaviour on the road, with warning letters sent out. The reports wouldn't form proof of anything but it would give people the opportunity to link into the police."

He told a meeting of the Kendal Police Community Liaison Forum at the Hallgarth Community Centre that the suggestion was still in its infancy and the detail needed to be fully developed.

"We have already talked about it and already raised the question that it could be open to abuse. We will need to think very carefully about how we treated the information we received."

Speaking after the meeting, Chief Supt Mackay told the Gazette that "shock boards" were also planned for the trunk road.

"They are the sort that read there have been so many casualties on this stretch of road between these dates," he said.

The road watch scheme has been suggested by Insp Nick Coughlan, of the Ulverston-based Mobile Support Group, and will be discussed at future meetings.

l CUMBRIA Police will be carrying out Operation Repel on the A590 throughout this month. The aim of the operation is to reduce the number of serious collisions on the road during the month, which is traditionally a peak period for accidents. Operation Inclement was successful at reducing the number of collisions last November and Cumbria Police hope that Operation Repel will be equally successful in May.

The operation will concentrate on eliminating the common causes of collisions such as drink driving, careless driving, fatigue driving and driving with defective eye sight.

Operation Repel will be carried out at a number of check points along the A590 as well as more marked and unmarked patrols on the road.

The police will work in conjunction with the Driving Standards Agency to ensure that vehicles and drivers do not present a danger to the public. Drivers will be asked about consumption of alcohol at these sites and may be tested if appropriate.