A petition calling for average speed cameras on roads through the New Forest has received 51,903 signatures supporting the idea.

Animal owner Sarah Weston started the petition after her four year old pony was run over and killed in the forest.

In her post on change.org she explained how her four year old New Forest Pony, Juma, who was living semi-feral in the New Forest died in a car crash last month after suffering two broken legs, smashed teeth internal injuries.

She says analysis of mobile phones has revealed that some drivers are deliberately speeding across the open Forest which has a speed limit of 40mph at speeds up to 75 mph throughout the day and the night.

“At present we are reliant on one voluntary police officer carrying out speed checks on the whole of the Forest including busy commuter routes and we lose in excess of 50 animals every year,” she writes. “We need the authorities to install AVERAGE SPEED CAMERAS along these busiest routes. The authorities maintain that ‘raising awareness’ and ‘education’ are sufficient when clearly they are not. Please sign this petition!”

The petition has now closed.

(Picture – Jenoptik)