Knitted mannequins deployed in Warwickshire village to curb speeding
Villagers near Fillongley in North Warwickshire have placed knitted traffic mannequins beside a 30mph road to persuade drivers to slow down after repeated crashes.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Residents near Fillongley in North Warwickshire have turned to knitted mannequins to tackle speeding on a 30mph road through the village. The figures, including traffic police and schoolchildren, have been placed at a junction where locals say drivers regularly break the limit.
The display is the work of the local knit and natter group. One life-size mannequin, named George, wears a knitted high-vis jacket and carries a speed camera. Organisers say he is designed to fool drivers into slowing down. The group has also put out knitted zebra crossings and tortoises at a crossroads to encourage lower speeds.
The campaign follows almost a dozen crashes in four years. Residents say all approaches to the crossroads are bad and that speeding through the village remains a serious problem. One member of the group said the idea came from her "crazy head" in response to the speeding. She said they want to highlight the issue and are trying to work with the county council.
Another mannequin, named Charlie, disappeared after only a couple of days. The group believes he may have been taken by a disgruntled driver. When Charlie was in place, residents said people commented that traffic was slowing. During the interview, traffic was moving slowly past the mannequins, although the television crew's presence may also have had an effect.
Warwickshire County Council said it has developed a scheme for the junction at the bottom of the hill. Work could start next year, subject to approval. Until then, residents say their knitted figures are helping to slow traffic.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Another mannequin named Charlie went missing after a couple of days. | |
| Residents near Fillongley placed knitted traffic police figures and schoolchildren figures beside the road to slow speeding drivers. | |
| There had been almost a dozen crashes in four years. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report framed the mannequins as a quirky local response to a serious speeding problem near a junction with a history of crashes. It gave most time to the knit and natter group, the life-size figure George and the suspected theft of Charlie, and it tested whether drivers were slowing down. It also noted that Warwickshire County Council has a junction scheme planned for next year, subject to approval.
- “Let me introduce you to George. He is the latest member of the Fillongley village speed watch”
- “Out of my crazy head just in response to the speeding that we have through the village”
- “He was only there for a couple of days and then suddenly overnight. He wasn't there”
Broadcast Timeline
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