Speeding drivers caught by police on New Forest road where two ponies were killed a week previously

THREE drivers were given speeding tickets by police on a road where two ponies were killed just a week previously.

As part of operation Mountie, a joint campaign to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding in the New Forest, officers spent just over an hour on Beaulieu Road, opposite Kings Hat car park on the way to Beaulieu.

A post on the New Forest Heart Cops Facebook page said: "Two ponies died on that road last week after being hit by a car and a motorbike in separate accidents, and in the short time that we were there we issued tickets to three drivers who were speeding above the 40mph. Their speeds were 50mph, 51mph and 61mph."

However, the post explained that the roads were becoming safer, with statistics showing by this time in 2019 there had been 29 animal deaths on New Forest roads.

So far this year there has been only 10.

The post added: "Most drivers are now slowing down across the forest and we along with our partners at Forestry England and the New Forest Roads Awareness Team want to thank you for making our roads safer for everyone."

Officers said they also issued a ticket to a van driver for using his mobile phone while driving from Lyndhurst to Cadnam roundabout.