FRESH calls were made last night for 20mph limits to be introduced in Oxfordshire’s market towns after news that police had started enforcing the restrictions in the city.

In yesterday’s Oxford Mail we revealed Thames Valley Police officers had begun enforcing the contentious 20mph limit for the first time since its introduction in Oxford three years ago.

It came after the man in charge of the county’s roads — county council cabinet member Rodney Rose — ruled out in April introducing new lower limits around Oxfordshire because of the lack of enforcement.

Yesterday he said the police announcement made the introduction of lower limits more likely in towns like Abingdon and Witney.

Mr Rose, who had described the 20mph limits in Oxford as a waste of money because of the lack of police speed checks, said: “I will be looking at this on a daily basis. If 20mph limits were introduced in market towns they will be around schools and individual streets.”

Schools in Abingdon united in 2008 to call for speed reduction measures after Larkmead pupil Sarah Waterhouse was killed in an accident involving a coach while cycling to school. Larkmead head Chris Harris said that schools in the town would be pressing again for lower speed limits in the wake of this week’s announcement by the police.

Former Witney mayor Chrissie Curry said: “I would welcome 20mph limits in certain streets but not across the whole town.”