Paintball warning for speeding motorists

Residents of a Canterbury village are applauding a mystery resident who has erected a sign warning speeding motorists they risk being shot at - with a paintball gun.

Southbound State Highway 1 traffic through Chertsey is being diverted down the side road while drainage and improvement work is carried out on the highway.

But it's not the diversion that's the problem, Chertsey residents say, it's the motorists who are opting to use Chertsey Line Road as a race track.

After the diversion is removed each evening, traffic still continues to use the side road as a way to beat traffic on the highway, resident Helen Spicer says.

"Long after it's finished they're flying down here at 100K, they're all turning off now so they can beat the road works and beat the rest of the traffic."

Chertsey Line Road had become the default highway with motorists travelling at highway speeds.

The origins of the paintball sign were a mystery but if it had the desired effect of slowing traffic it was a winner, she said.

Resident Jenny Jamison said she didn't know where the sign came from and didn't know of any paintballers in Chertsey.

"But since the sign went up, it's amazing how many people slow down. They're slowing to read the sign but at least they're slowing down."

- By Sue Newman of the Ashburton Guardia