A husband and wife have caught more than 100 speeding motorists with their own speed camera after a series of accidents outside their home.
Matt and Sarah Jones set up a community speedwatch group in September last year after getting fed up with motorists disobeying the speed limit outside their house in Cross-in-Hand, East Sussex.
The couple, alongside councillor Naz Mian, have spent hours monitoring traffic around the small village, with those caught speeding receiving letters, rather than points, advising them to lower their speed.
They have spotted more than 100 motorists speeding in just a few months, with the highest recorded speed in the 30mph zone being 50mph.
The initiative had started as an online awareness group, with the Cross-in-Hand Community Speedwatch group later emerging as an extension of this campaign.
Mrs Jones was motivated to take action within her local community after a fatal accident in took place outside her house in October 2024.
A truck was driving northbound on the A267 when it collided with a black Ford Focus in the southbound lane. The Ford’s driver, a 32-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A local couple, David Evans, 55, and his wife Linda, 48, were also killed when they collided with a drink-driver along the same road on September 9, 2017.
Husband and wife duo Matt and Sarah Jones have caught over 100 speeding motorists outside their home with their own speed camera
The couple have spotted more than 100 motorists speeding in just a few months, with the highest recorded speed in a 30mph zone being 50mph
Despite their success Mrs Jones said often drivers make ‘unpleasant rude hand gestures’ through the windows when they see the group.
The 47-year-old PR consultant said: ‘We both are lucky enough to pop out and do this session between us weekly and sometimes together.
‘It’s in my heart to make this road safer.
‘The fact we have the time to do this as a couple it’s the least we can do and it feels great that we can work with the parish council.’
She added: ‘Often we have drivers making unpleasant rude hand gestures through the window because we are there.
‘A lot of them don’t know they have been caught. But it hasn’t stopped us. We keep doing it.’
Mr Jones, 51, company director, said: ‘It is something that we are doing together for the community to raise awareness. I am just doing my little bit to support her.
‘I enjoy doing it – it’s not too much of an hassle. You do it for half an hour and it doesn’t take much of your day.
‘Since we started doing it I became way more aware of my driving.’
David Evans, 55, and his wife Linda, 48, were killed instantly when a drink-driver’s car smashed into theirs along a stretch of the A267
The trio launched Cross-in-Hand Community Speedwatch in September 2025 with Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council and supported by Sussex Police.
To operate properly they get their equipment from the Parish Council – including speed guns, high-vis and ways of documenting what the vehicle is.
Mrs Jones said the Cross-in-Hand Community Speedwatch group was developed as an extension of this campaign.
She said: ‘We came on board very quickly because I set up A267 Road Safety Campaign which promotes road safety between Mayfield Roundabout to Horam safer since a road accident happened in front of my house.
‘The road is notorious for accidents and speed is a massive problem.
‘One of the things we can do to reduce speed cases was a community speed watching.’
Mr Jones added: ‘Where we live is an hotspot for accidents. Speed is your enemy and most of the accidents around here are because of excess speed.’
The trio have been working together weekly and they have been welcomed by the local community.
Since then they have caught 100 vehicles speeding and they have monitored over 3,000 vehicles. They have also caught people driving without insurance and tax.
Matt and Sarah have spent hours monitoring traffic around their small village
Sarah said: ’95 per cent of drivers that receive a community speed watch letter don’t re-offend for the next 12 months.
‘You are given a warning, not a fine. People see us and they slow down.’
Sarah said the group is looking to recruit more people to join in order to prevent future tragedies on the road.
She added: ‘The more people we have in the team the more we can do. We are determined to continue the session and it’s great to support what the community is doing.
‘People going past the speed limit is an issue across the UK.
‘There might not be a stronger police numbers where we are in the country and no speed cameras around here so to be able to do it this way is really important.
‘It’s a really good way of working on a community level.
‘If I can help as a member of the society to highlight and raise awareness for the need of road safety it’s been quite interesting.’
Inspector Vicki Rees for Sussex Police said: ‘Every year in Sussex, we know that more than forty people lose their lives on our roads and more than a thousand people are seriously injured.’
