A NOTORIOUS stretch of road between Largs and Skelmorlie is being targeted by a speeding blitz - and will receive new cameras as part of a continuing police crackdown.

Extra resources are being deployed to the A78 between the town and village after it was revealed speeding offences there, and across the district, are on the rise.

Throughout North Ayrshire, speeding offences are currently 1.4 per cent above the five-year average.

Senior officers have also said that crimes behind the wheel have shot up in 2022 against the 12 months prior.

The damning statistics were revealed at a policing briefing for North Ayrshire Council this week.

The area's most senior officers said that the local road policing unit continues to carry out initiatives in specific area based on information from local communities and councillors.

Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain said: "Divisional officers in North Ayrshire, supported by colleagues from road policing, continue to focus on the key priority of speeding.

"Motorists that speed and drive inappropriately for the road conditions are often the subject of complaints from members of the public via local elected members within North Ayrshire. This is good to see.

"A number of identified static speed checks sites have been selected based on community complaints and concerns.

"Officers deploy to these sites routinely to conduct targeted enforcement, which provides reassurance to our communities that the subject of speeding is taken seriously."

CS Hussain told the meeting that the A78 between Largs and Skelmorlie had been repeatedly brought forward as an area of concern.

He added: "A number of motorists have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal for exceeding the speed limit as a result of targeted operations in this area.

"More recently, a successful application was made to the West Safety Camera Unit for flexible deployments on the shore road.

"It is anticipated these deployments will commence in the very near future, which will provide further reassurance to our local elected members and communities.

"Other areas within the sub-division with historical speeding complaints have been the subject of routine high visibility and unmarked patrols for additional enforcement.

"The increase in speeding detections during the reporting period is a clear indication that road policing and divisional officers remain dedicated towards tackling this issue."