THE Plain roundabout in Oxford has been branded the second most dangerous for cyclists in the country.

The the junction of Iffley Road, Cowley Road, St Clement’s and the High Street at Magdalen Bridge saw 45 collisions reported to police between 2009 and 2015 according to figures from data firm Mapmechanics reported in The Sunday Times.

It came second only to Lambeth Bridge roundabout in London, in a list of blackspots.

Although the figures relate to a period before £1.35m of work by Oxfordshire County Council was carried out to improve safety by widening approaches and creating an extra lane for cyclists, in early 2015, cyclists were unsure whether it was any safer.

Cycling campaigner Simon Hunt, chairman of Cyclox, said: “The jury is still out on the improvements. We have had some good feedback from cyclists feeling safer – particularly when heading out of town down St Clement’s – and with the LED lights at night.

“But the council could have done a lot more with the money to make cyclists feel comfortable. Going past the Cowley Road junction on the way to Iffley Road, for example, still creates collisions.

“I don’t accept that it’s the second most dangerous in the country, but it could certainly be made more comfortable.”

In September, the council revealed that the number of cyclists using the junction rose from 10,800 per day to 11,500 between 2013 and 2016 – a six per cent rise.