A councillor has called for urgent changes to control traffic in a busy village street, claiming a pedestrian could be killed unless the layout is changed.

Cllr Bob Laynes has criticised the layout of High Street, in Kidlington, which is closed to through traffic but is used by delivery vehicles and illegally by shoppers.

But according to senior officers at Cherwell District Council, staff shortages are preventing them from doing anything about the problem.

Cllr Laynes, who sits on Kidlington Parish Council and Cherwell District Council, said: "The major problem is people don't want to walk ten yards to take back a video so they drive down High Street. I think there's going to be a serious fatality or accident, there's got to be changes to the street."

Trish Redpath, the clerk of Kidlington Parish Council, added: "It's an ongoing problem but it's not just a question of illegal parking, it's the whole system."

The parish council sent a letter about the High Street to Graham Handley, chief executive of the district council, who replied saying nothing could be done because of staff shortages.

There is no urban centres manager at the district council and the planning officer responsible for reviewing the safety of the street recently resigned.