Speeding traffic through a West Oxfordshire village has been a problem for many years and it is only a matter of time until someone is killed.

That’s the message from campaign group Safe Roads for Middle Barton.

The B4030 runs between Bicester and Chipping Norton and through Middle Barton at North Street.

Richard Brown, who has started an online petition for the campaign, said the road cuts the village in half, and is 'fast and busy'.

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Mr Brown said: “Middle Barton Primary School and pre-School are on one side and the majority of homes built in the last sixty years on the other.

“Many families must cross this busy road twice a day.

“Vehicles accelerate on the road from Hopcrofts Holt and enter the village at speed.

“A limit of 30mph is in place within the village but other than signage, it is not enforced.

“Potholes, the twisting road and residents of North Street having to park on this, and nearby roads, adds further danger.

“The village’s lollipop crossing service was also recently reduced to mornings only.”

Resident Tom Green was hit by a vehicle whilst on the pavement opposite the Alice Marshall Hall.

Mr Brown said: "Two cars were racing towards him on North Street.

"The first bumped the car in front, and its driver lost control.

"This car mounted the pavement and despite leaping out of the way, it clipped Tom.

"Tom reported this incident to the police."

Following the incident, Mr Green was concerned for fellow residents and wanted to highlight the risk to other villagers.

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Mr Green started a petition and 88 villagers who have had similar concerns about speeding vehicles and also feel unsafe added their signatures to his call for action.

Safe Roads for Middle Barton is a collective of the village's charities, schools and local businesses.

Mr Brown explained: "Charities, schools and local businesses which are aware of this and other road safety issues in and around Middle Barton have joined together to strengthen Tom’s call.

"The consistent annual increases in traffic, new and proposed developments within the village and nearby, and growth predicted in West Oxfordshire District Council's Local Plan 2031 have made traffic control through Middle Barton an urgent and critical issue."

The campaign was launched at a Steeple Barton Parish Council meeting last month and using social media, had 100 signatures on their online petition in the first two weeks.

Upon publication, this had grown to 129 signatures.

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"Renault F1 and the staff from Middle Barton School are supporting us," said Mr Brown.

"We’ve had a reply from our county councillor, Ian Hudspeth, who would like to arrange a meeting with us.

"The first step to making our roads safe is obtaining professional advice as to what traffic calming options are appropriate and how much they cost.

"Our petition calls on our elected representatives to ensure a comprehensive traffic survey of the B4030 as it approaches and passes through Middle Barton (North Street) be completed by Oxfordshire County Council’s Highways Department by 31st January 2020.

"Safe Roads for Middle Barton will then work with all stakeholders to secure funding for those recommendations as quickly as possible."

The online petition can be found at change.org/p/our-local-and-national-elected-representatives-safe-roads-for-middle-barton