A motorist was stopped for speeding every five-and-a-half minutes in a police sting in Whetstone last week.

Oakleigh Safer Neighbourhoods Team stopped 27 cars, between 10am and 12.30pm on Thursday, during an operation monitoring southbound traffic in Great North Road, between Buckingham Avenue and Friern Barnet Lane.

All the drivers were going faster than 36mph, with one driver caught at a speed of 52mph. The speed limit is 30mph.

Each driver caught speeding was given a verbal warning and signed a statement explaining why they had been stopped.

Sergeant Jim Avey, of Oakleigh Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said: "We didn't stop anyone going under 36 miles per hour, as that gives us a clear indication that there was either negligence, or they were doing it deliberately.

"People's response was excellent. Some were upset, some were annoyed at themselves that they had been so foolish. But once we explained the reasons why we were doing this we seemed to get a positive response from the drivers and passing pedestrians.

"Those are the cars we had the resources to stop - there may have been more. Drivers really should know better. We will review the situation in the near future to see if we've had an effect. Hopefully drivers will learn from this. We want to work with the community to encourage people to face up to their responsibility."