Thousands of reckless drivers caught speeding through a tiny village in a single week have been branded "selfish risk takers" by a charity.

Villagers have been left dumbstruck after it was revealed that 133,000 drivers broke the speed limit when rushing through Staplehurst in just one week.

But now a nationwide road traffic safety charity has slammed the drivers, 162 of which were clocked travelling at an alarming 70mph or more.

More than 133,000 speeding cars were recorded in Staplehurst in a week

The four roads where the study was carried out in November - Maidstone Road, Station Road, High Street and Cranbrook Road - have speed limits of 30mph or 40mph.

According to the Brake, which provides support to crash victims, almost 2,000 people were killed and 24,000 people were seriously injured on Britain's roads in 2017.

A charity spokesman said: “These figures are quite simply astounding.

"It is incredibly concerning to see so many speeding drivers putting not only themselves, but all other road users, at serious risk.

"At Brake, we see every day the devastating impact road crashes caused by speeding have on families and communities across the country.

"We call on the government to invest in road traffic policing as a national priority, to provide the police with the resources they need to tackle the menace of excessive speeding on our roads."