Surrey Road Police (RPU) apprehended residents in Warlingham recently who attempted to warn road users about a police speed trap in the area.

In a post to Twitter which garnered hundreds of likes from social media users, a spokesperson for the Surrey RPU described the incident in more detail:

"Apparently some of the local residents in Warlingham would rather warn the drivers that are speeding outside their homes about the police presence rather than have the police stop and speak with them," the post read.

The police account later clarified that the signs shown in the accompanying photo were "not normally present and were added after the arrival of our units".

Responding to comments about whether the purpose of the speed trap was simply to catch speeding residents, the RPU spokesperson added:

"It’s purpose is to detect.

"We complete speed enforcement on roads that have high casualty rate, or a known for speeding issues, or following complaints from local residents.

"If local residents want to put up signs, meaning our attendance shows no speeding issue, then we might."