Tickets issued to four New Forest speeders in Operation Mountie crackdown between Hatchet Pond and Brockenhurst

“I’M off to play golf” was one speeding driver’s excuse after being caught in a crackdown on a New Forest route.

A total of four motorists were ticketed for travelling at over 50mph on the 40mph stretch between Hatchet Pond and Brockenhurst, by the Operation Mountie team at Hawkhill Inclosure last Friday.

Operation Mountie is a multi-agency scheme aimed at cutting speeding and animal accidents on Forest roads.

Police work with partners from New Forest District Council, Forestry England, and the New Forest Roads Awareness campaign group.

The driver who said they were off to a golf game had been clocked at 58mph.

The highest speed was 59mph, with this motorist saying: “I’m late and need to drop my child off at the train station.”

Another, who was doing 56mph, said: “I’m late and need to drop my child off at the bus stop.”

The fourth ticketed speeder was a motorcyclist clocked at 50mph while passing a bus they said was going too slowly.

FE and New Forest Roads Awareness representatives issued advice to another four road users caught speeding under 50mph.

An online post by local police afterwards said: “As always, the vast majority of drivers did stick to the limit for which we are all extremely grateful.”

It also urged people to remember that “the roads in the New Forest are unique and we all need to take extra care”.