Motorists who speed through East Sussex villages face a major purge.

A raft of measures designed to combat the problem has been approved by Tory-held East Sussex County Council.

They include lower speed limits, new speed signs and expanding a trial scheme in which villagers use hand-held laser guns to catch offenders.

More speed-reactive signs which automatically warn drivers if they are breaking the speed limit will be introduced and five more speed indication devices which display the speed of on-coming vehicles if they are breaking the limit are being bought.

This comes on top of plans to cut the 40mph limit to 30mph at 29 sites in rural East Sussex.

Coun Tony Reid, lead cabinet member for transport, said: "More and more village residents are telling us speeding drivers are making their lives a misery.

"We've agreed to measures that will help to improve safety and I believe community involvement is the key."

The most striking plan is to roll out the community speed watch scheme throughout East Sussex following a successful three-month trial in Ringmer from May.

Volunteers have been recording registration numbers and passing details to police who have sent more than 300 warning letters or targeted persistent speeders for prosecution.

Thirty residents in Ringmer have been trained to use the on-loan £2,500 laser gun and volunteers include an actor, an architect and a retired builder.

They wear fluorescent jackets and man the speed gun in threes for an hour a day at one of 12 points around the village to clock motorists topping 30mph.

The volunteers, members of Ringmer Against Drivers Acting Recklessly (Radar), have been highly visible and police hope their presence alone has made drivers slow down.

Radar co-chairman Graham Davis said: "We are not vigilantes trying to catch speeding drivers.

"We simply want people to respect the 30mph limit so people can ride their bicycles and push their prams safely."

Speeding in East Sussex's villages has been a problem in recent years.

Council bosses have been criticised for not supporting a blanket 30mph limit in parishes.

They went on the offensive, saying these restrictions were not the best solution in all cases.