Motorists are being urged to be mindful of their speed near to a busy North Staffordshire hospital.

The message comes after officers caught a number of drivers ignoring the limit outside the Royal Stoke University Hospital on Monday.

In an hour, seven drivers were recorded travelling at 40mph and above with the quickest being 45mph. The limit along Hilton Road – which runs outside the hospital site – is 30mph.

The operation on Monday morning was carried out by PC Barry Joynson, of Staffordshire Police's Road Policing Unit. PC Joynson, a former neighbourhood officer for the area, said: "The issue of speeding on this road was raised to me when I was part of the neighbourhood team and so I wanted to continue to monitor this stretch.

"I was positioned close to the car park junctions as this is usually a busy area with not only vehicles but pedestrians.

"Speeding is one of the four main contributors to serious injury and deaths on our roads and so it is important we stage these operations to show our visibility and keep the highways safe."

"The Road Policing Unit is committed to reducing fatalities on Staffordshire's roads and our ongoing Operation Lightning is focused on improving safety on the road network."