Police have reiterated that they continue to enforce 20mph after it emerged that the current fixed speed cameras can not pick up anyone travelling at that speed.

Chief constable Jason Hogg told the place overview and scrutiny committee that the devices were ‘not sensitive enough’ to catch drivers exceeding the new limit which has been implemented in residential streets in Witney and Abingdon and rolled out across many villages.

Mr Hogg told county councillors: “If we have, for example, a village at the moment where there is a 30mph limit and a speed camera - and I would suggest that a speed camera helps reduce speeding.

"There is a risk if you reduce the speed limit there to 20mph, with the current cameras that we have it actually might not act as the deterrence we would hope for.”

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Buying new fixed cameras sensitive enough to catch 20mph speeders would require a ‘considerable investment’, Mr Hogg said.

Witney was the first place to apply for a town-wide speed limit change under Oxfordshire County Council’s £8million programme to create safer, healthier, and quieter streets.

It was requested and supported by Witney Town Council.

However, opponents have suggested the blanket 20mph limit is unrealistic and has increased driver frustration and dangerous manoeuvres.

One community chat group user posted: "I was doing 20mph on Witan Way heading towards Station Lane last night at around 10pm.

"In that length of road while spending my time looking at my speed I was overtaken twice by cars and once by a motorbike.

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"I understand 20mph in town and residential, but in roads like Witan Way, it seems more dangerous than doing 30mph or maybe 40mph... am I right?"

However, another poster replied: "If the gateway sign for that road states 20mph, then that is the enforceable limit. There are plenty of other methods of enforcement if the camera does not work."

Police confirmed that fixed cameras are not the only tool they use and mobile speed camera units are deployed on a regular basis and enforcement action will be taken.

A spokesperson said: "Thames Valley Police enforce speed limits based on evidence and threat/harm principles and officers will always deal with situations they encounter operationally.

"We also rely on the public to provide information and would encourage anyone with information about speeding or poor driving to please report it so that we can gather information about a particular area and take action where appropriate."

In villages with Community Speedwatch, volunteers record the registrations of vehicles going above the speed limit and give the data to police who send warning letters to the registered keepers.

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The data can be used to assess future police enforcement or other traffic calming measures.

Meanwhile Oxfordshire County Council said that while it has been working alongside Thames Valley Police, "the emphasis is on drivers adhering to the new limits through a change of mindset, rather than enforcement".

"It is hoped that as 20mph areas become more common, breaking the limit will become socially unacceptable for drivers."

A spokesperson added: "There is a clear link between the speed of traffic and the likelihood of accidents happening in which people are killed or injured.

"You are seven times more likely to survive if you are hit by a car driving at 20mph than if you are hit at 30mph."