Police stopped a banned driver days before he caused a fatal crash - but didn't seize his car because officers were not trained in the latest rules. Villagers in Upper Heyford, where killer driver Nolan Haworth, 19, frequently stayed, said they reported teenagers driving untaxed cars dangerously around the area many times in the months before the fatal crash.

They said they even warned police about the untaxed Vauxhall Nova Haworth was driving when he killed Dr Margaret Davidson, 26, on the A4260 near Deddington in May.

On Monday, Oxford Crown Court heard how Haworth, of Ribston Close, Banbury, was driving "like a joyrider", overtaking on blind bends and swerving across the central white lines before his borrowed Vauxhall Nova smashed into Dr Davidson's car.

Villagers said they felt the accident could have been prevented. Upper Heyford parish councillor Peter James said: "I must have spent a fortune on phone calls to the police. It got to such a state that villagers were frightened to go out on the road.

"It's disgusting - I honestly think the accident could have been prevented."

Parish council chairman Ian Lough-Scott said: "Everybody forecast this was going to happen - but we hoped and prayed it would not. Someone has lost their life in tragic circumstances and maybe we should have done more. Our worst fears actually happened."

Mr Lough-Scott said he wrote to the assistant chief constable of Thames Valley Police after the crash to express his disappointment more action was not taken. Police spokesman Victoria Bartlett said officers had worked hard to tackle the problem and had stopped Haworth for driving offences two weeks before the crash.

But she said officers could not use new powers to seize uninsured or untaxed vehicles, which were launched in February, because the rules were not applied by the force until June to allow everyone to be trained.

She said: "Haworth was stop-checked two weeks previously and summoned to magistrates for driving offences. He was given a hefty telling-off by the officer.

"We received numerous complaints from residents in Upper Heyford about teenagers using what they called 'pool' cars that were not taxed or insured.

"Caroline Brown (area beat officer for Upper Heyford) did a lot of work with the community. She seized seven vehicles prior to the crash. She called a meeting in the village hall for the community to tell police their concerns.

"Villagers are saying If you seized that vehicle you might have prevented the accident'. That may have been the case, but this man had a complete disregard for the law."

She added many of the untaxed cars were hidden around the village and could not be located. Haworth was jailed for four years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.