Residents living in a north Oxford street fear someone will be knocked down and killed by speeding motorists unless traffic-calming measures are installed.

Ted Dewan and his daughter Pandora, four, in Beech Croft Road, Oxford

They claim Beech Croft Road is an accident waiting to happen, with drivers travelling well in excess of the 30mph speed limit.

They are angry that nothing has been done to deter motorists using it as a short cut to Summertown and have launched a campaign to highlight their concerns.

A group of 20 people plan to stage a series of mock road accidents outside their homes to encourage passing drivers to slow down.

Campaign organiser Ted Dewan, of Beech Croft Road, said: "We are fed up with having to put up with this rat run. It's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed.

"There are lots of young children and elderly people living here and the road just seems to get busier and busier. This is a genuine problem that needs to be addressed."

Residents plan to lobby Oxfordshire County Council to make the road narrower at strategic points, stopping drivers from being able to break the speed limit.

Mr Dewan, 41, said: "The council has rejected past proposals saying the casualty rate is not high enough, but we're adamant that something gets done and won't give up until we succeed."

The council's environmental services department said it could find no record of past appeals about traffic, but would be willing to discuss the matter with residents.

Traffic engineer Paul Wilson said: "We are quite willing to listen to their concerns and we would be happy to take an application into consideration."

In October, residents in Observatory Street, between Kingston Road and Woodstock Road, north Oxford, staged a similar protest.