A new 10ft fence has put an end to people dicing with death by taking a short cut over a busy stretch of the A40 in Oxford.

City councillor Patrick Murray next to the new fence

Residents voiced fears last September that it was only a matter of time before someone was killed crossing the Northern Bypass between Barton Village Road and Barton Lane.

But the £630 fence, which replaces one which was ripped down, has been put up by Oxfordshire County Council as workers get ready to install another barrier on the Eastern Bypass which has gaps in it specifically to let pedestrians cross the busy road.

Constance Ellis, of Barton Lane, said she used to see scores of people crossing the A40 Northern Bypass, but was glad the safety measures had now been installed.

She said: "It was quite dangerous before. There was fencing there, but people broke it down as they wanted to cross the road that way.

"It should be a whole lot safer now if it stays up, but I wonder how long it will last."

Barton city councillor Patrick Murray, who took up the campaign on behalf of the residents, thanked the Oxford Mail for highlighting the issue.

He said: "As far as I'm aware, the short cut is not really used any more.

"The work probably wouldn't have happened if the story hadn't been in the Oxford Mail."

In July 2004, Steven Becksey was found dead on the grass verge of the A40 Northern Bypass. Police believe the father-of-four may have been hit by a van.

Paul Smith, of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "We're glad this work has been done and we hope the fence now stays in a good state of repair so that it can do its job of preventing people crossing the road at this point."

Meanwhile, a concrete barrier planned on Oxford's Eastern Bypass -- where three teenagers and a motorist were killed after a 'crossover' accident almost nine months ago -- will have two gaps to accommodate pedestrians.

As reported in Saturday's Oxford Mail, Oxfordshire County Council has been forced to allow two passages through the barrier due to ancient rights of way crossing the road.

East Oxford MP Andrew Smith has labelled the decision "an accident waiting to happen".

The £650,000 barrier was agreed when thousands of people signed a petition following the death of 13-year-old's Marshall Haynes, Liam Hastings and Josh Bartlett and motorist Howard Hillsdon, 21, in May last year when a car veered across the central reservation into oncoming traffic.

The entire stretch of the Eastern Bypass will also be made into a 50mph zone, with police carrying out regular speed checks.