A FAMILY’S appeal to slash the speed limit on the road where their 10-year-old son was killed is a step nearer to success.

Freddie Perry ran out between two parked cars in Oxford Crescent, Didcot, at about 5.30pm on September 10 last year, and died the following day.

Now after tireless campaigning by the boy’s family, the public are being consulted on a potential 20mph speed limit in the street.

Freddie’s father Lea Perry, 40, a coach driver who lives with wife Judith, 42, and daughters Rhiannon, 15, and Eloise, 11, said: “A 20mph zone will make Oxford Crescent much safer and I can’t see that there would be any objections.

“We want people to be safe and not have to go through what we have been going through.

“Hopefully there will be more 20mph zones in Didcot once this one is introduced.”

Oxford Crescent currently has a 30mph speed limit and the family has been working with Didcot town and county councillor Nick Hards to get the 20mph zone introduced, costing £6,000.

Mr Hards said: “This is something I have been working on for a number of months with the Perry family.

“If the consultation goes satisfactorily, then the cabinet member for transport David Nimmo Smith will decide whether to authorise it.

“Oxford Crescent would benefit from the speed reduction and I think there are merits for doing this on safety grounds, even if you don’t take into account Freddie’s death.

“This would be the first 20mph zone in Didcot and I think the town council would be in favour of seeing more 20mph zones in the town. I have talked to people in Oxford Crescent and they have concerns about speeding traffic and a number of close shaves.”

Mr Hards said that the 20mph zone would include a raised crossing point at the eastern end of the crescent to help people to cross the road and reinforce the speed limit.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Martin Crabtree said: “We are consulting on proposals to reduce the speed limit in Oxford Crescent, between Wantage Road and Slade Road, to 20mph, along with associated traffic calming.

“The proposals were drawn up in discussion with the local county councillor, Nick Hards, who has been in regular contact with the parents of Freddie Perry, and local people. “ Mr Crabtree added the proposed traffic regulation order was advertised on June 25 and consultation closes on July 25.

An inquest found in April that Freddie’s death was an accident and heard evidence that the driver of the car which hit Freddie was travelling at about 20mph.

The hearing was told Freddie ran out between two parked vehicles, a Ford Galaxy car and a Vauxhall Vivaro van, and the van would have obscured the view of driver Joanne Napper.

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