Greater Manchester Police: some drivers are "using the quieter roads as their own personal racetrack"

Police say there's been a sharp increase in the number of drivers who are speeding over the past few weeks in some parts of Greater Manchester.

The force says it has so far caught more than 6,200 motorists breaking the limit since the start of lockdown on Monday 23rd March

With all non-essential travel currently banned under government guidance, police say the majority of people within Greater Manchester are staying at home and if they need to go out, they are continuing to stick to the speed limits.

But there are a number of people who are driving erratically and in some of the more problematic areas, the force has seen an increase of 57% in reference to vehicles travelling above the speed limit over the past few weeks.

It's now stepping up patrols in key hotspot areas in a bid to crackdown on these individuals, and help to protect vital emergency servicesSuperintendent Julie Ellison from GMP’s Specialist Operations Team said: "

Superintendent Julie Ellison from GMP’s Specialist Operations Team said: “At all times road safety in and around Greater Manchester is of paramount importance as speeding can have devastating consequences – not only does it increase the risk of collisions occurring, but it can affect the severity of those that do take place and in the worst case scenario can be fatal."