Police have called on town and parish councils to help fund a speed detector, aimed at cutting death on the roads, writes Tim Hughes.

Wantage and Faringdon police are urging more than 40 local councils to raise 875 needed to buy a mobile speed gun.

The unusual appeal follows demands from residents and community groups for the police to do more to tackle speeding.

There are currently only two of the Muniquip guns in the southern Oxfordshire police area which stretches from Faringdon to Thame. The head of Wantage and Faringdon police, Insp Stewart Haveron, insisted speed patrols could only be stepped up if councils dug into their own pockets.

According to Thames Valley Police, four people were killed on local roads last year, and 157 others were injured 27 of them seriously. Insp Haveron said: "Speed is believed to account for at least a third of all serious or fatal road traffic accidents. Combating inappropriate speed is the best way to make roads safer but to do so, we need help. People are always asking us to do more speed enforcement, and we are now giving them the opportunity to contribute directly."

The cash appeal comes as the sector prepares its policing priorities for the coming year.

Wantage Town Council has backed the appeal with a grant for 25. The Mayor Jenny Hannaby said: "Speeding kills and the council considers this a worth while cause to support."

The appeal was supported by Oxfordshire County and Vale of White Horse District councillor for Wantage, Jim Moley.

He said the funding should have come from central government. He said: "It is absolutely right that the police should look for co-operation from local councils but central government should be sorting out their finances better. Town and parish councils are only funded to look after their own simple, grass roots issues."