THE decision by Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership to cut its speed, drink driving and seatbelt enforcement in Oxfordshire is an absolute disgrace.

The Partnership has had £600,000 of funding withdrawn by Oxfordshire County Council and has announced it is no longer covering this county.

Whatever argument over the county council not committing that money, it exposes the policing set-up of this country has abandoned its public protection responsibilities.

The Safer Roads Partnership co-ordinates enforcement and road safety. It is funded by organisations, including the county councils or unitary authorities, and ‘buys’ police officer time to carry out enforcement.

That is where this sorry structure crumbles, because law enforcement of the roads is not a commodity to be supplied or not supplied.

Thames Valley Police is responsible for ensuring motorists obey the law and road users are safe. It cannot hand that responsibility to any other organisation.

We asked Thames Valley Police if it would step into the breach left by the Partnership.

The police refused to answer, relying on a statement from Asst Ch Con John Campbell in which he acknowledges our roads will be less safe.

While he did not explicitly rule out taking up the slack, crucially he said: “Thames Valley Police will continute to work with the local authorities in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.”

It is not for the police to play any part in one area getting less law enforcement than another because of money.

Police must ensure the child crossing the busy road in Abingdon is as safe as the child crossing the busy road in Reading.

If Chief Constable Sara Thornton or any of her senior officers do not ensure this county has the same level of enforcement as its neighbours then that is a dereliction of duty and they should resign.