County councillors have supported lowering the speed limit on a stretch of the A3052 between Newton Poppleford and the Bowd in East Devon to 40mph.

Members of the East Devon Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (Hatoc) on Thursday approved recommendations to reduce the limit on the 950 metre stretch of road at Four Elms Hill from the National Speed Limit to 40mph.

In addition double white line markings will be amended, indicating areas where overtaking is prohibited.

Now the recommendations to change the speed limit will be advertised in a Traffic Regulation Order and an audit carried out before the road markings can be changed.

Between January 2014 and January 2019 there were four recorded collisions that resulted in injury within the area currently subject to national speed limit on Four Elms Hill.

Recent data shows that the majority of motorists are driving at an appropriate speed, with 27.5mph the average speed uphill and 38.3mph downhill.

The committee requested that officers investigate the possibility of introducing speed roundels and high friction surfacing.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, the chairman of East Devon Hatoc and Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Highways Management said: "While most drivers are driving within the speed limit the committee recognises that speeding remains a concern to local people who live near or on that stretch of road.

"That's why we are looking to extend the existing 40mph speed limit from the Bowd to the boundary of Newton Poppleford and investigating the feasibility of introducing speed roundels and high friction surfacing."