NEW data released this week has revealed that almost 45,000 drivers 'broke the speed limit' on part of a Kilwinning Road over just seven days.

The information has been released by the Scottish Government after traffic and speed monitoring equipment was temporarily installed on the A737 Dalry Road at the road's speed limit change from national speed limit to a 30mph zone.

Information was gathered from between midnight on September 3 until 11.59pm on September 9.

This period came less than a month prior to the commencement of footway resurfacing work along the A737 in the town - which is due to be completed at the end of this month.

During this time, speed data was collated for 69,225 vehicles travelling either north or southbound on the road.

Of the speeds clocked by the temporary equipment, some 44,638 were recorded at 31mph or higher - thus exceeding the permitted speed at the point of measurement.

A total of 18,039 of those were found to be travelling at this speed while heading southbound - meaning they would have been leaving the national speed limit road and coming into the 30mph zone.

The remaining 26,599 found to be travelling in excess of the permitted limit were leaving the 30mph zone to enter the national speed limit road.

Of the measured speeds, 45 were more than double that of the permitted limit - with the highest measured being just under 70mph.

No further information has been provided at this stage as to the reason for the data being gathered.