THE HEAD of Gwent Police has stated he would "welcome" any measures to make the A40 dual carriageway through Monmouth safer - including reducing the speed limit.

Chief Constable Mike Tonge received a letter last week from the chairman of Monmouth and District's Chamber of Trade and Commerce, David Cummings, imploring him to back the campaign to permanently lower the 70mph speed limit.

That correspondence followed a meeting of local dignitaries and interested parties met at Agincourt School last month to consider a new safety strategy on the Dixton Roundabout.

And Chief Constable Tonge has since replied: "Gwent Police are in dialogue with the Welsh Assembly Government and any measure which would reduce the number of accidents on this stretch of road would be welcomed."

Mr Cummings had written: "MDCTC fully supports the efforts of all those who have campaigned tirelessly in the past for a reduction in speed to 40mph on both carriageways from below the Gibraltar tunnels to a point level with the lay-by north of Dixton Roundabout."

He then listed a number of advantages for cars, pedestrians and local businesses, including increased safety for vehicles en route to and from Agincourt School, schoolchildren ap-proaching the pedestrian underpass and drivers stopping at the traffic lights or slowing to turn left onto Wye Bridge Street.

He said: "Each serious accident on the A40 past our town provides it with negative publicity in the short term, but for those injured and their families, it affects their lives indefinitely."

Mr Cummings also noted the potentially "substantial" reduction in noise and CO2 emissions, and that slower through traffic would have longer to consider a stop to visit Monmouth's town centre.