Oxford News
UK drivers warned as motorists clocked at up to 167mph
An investigation by the RAC has revealed that 32,548 motorists were recorded driving at 30mph or more on roads with a 20mph limit last year, including cases of extreme speeding.
One driver was clocked at 89mph on a 20mph stretch of the B5129 in Deeside, North Wales.
Another was caught travelling at 114mph on a 30mph road near a primary school in Aylestone, Leicestershire.
A man was sentenced last week after being caught driving at 167mph while being pursued by police on the A55 near Bangor, North Wales, on February 23.
Rod Dennis, RAC senior policy officer, said: “Our analysis shows some of the frankly chilling speeds some people are prepared to drive at – and these are just the cases the police are aware of.
“The fact that some were recorded in residential areas, even near schools, in daytime hours when others might well have been using the roads underlines just how dangerous this kind of behaviour is.
“Such roads will almost certainly be well-used by pedestrians and cyclists, so it doesn’t bear thinking about what travelling at such high speeds could have led to.”
Figures from Freedom of Information requests submitted to police forces across the UK revealed even higher speeds elsewhere.
The fastest recorded last year was 161mph, on the A5 in Bayston Hill, Shropshire, and the M6 southbound between Stoke and Stafford.
Across all 33 police forces that responded, 271,341 motorists were found driving at 40mph or more on roads limited to 30mph.
These findings come as 20mph speed limits become more common in built-up areas across the UK.
Wales has already adopted a 20mph default in built-up areas, and the Scottish Government has pledged to roll out the same policy where appropriate.
In England, 62 of 153 local authorities have introduced similar schemes.
London has also backed the move, with more than half of the capital’s roads now set at 20mph, as part of a key policy from Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
However, the limits have drawn criticism.
TomTom, a location technology company, has blamed the lower limits for making London the “slowest capital city to drive in” globally.
Despite the debates, the safety rationale remains clear.
Department for Transport (DfT) figures show that speed was a factor in 58 per cent of fatal crashes in Britain in 2024.
The Government’s road safety strategy, published in January, aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the roads by 65 per cent by 2035 and includes new guidance for councils on setting speed limits.
Mr Dennis said while casualty reduction targets are welcome, more needs to be done to address repeat speeding offences.
He called for new powers to allow courts to require offenders to use intelligent speed assistance technology, which physically prevents vehicles from exceeding speed limits.
A DfT spokesperson said: “There’s no excuse for those who choose to speed and put lives at risk.”
The representative confirmed there are currently no plans to mandate such technology, but said the Government’s strategy does call for all new cars to be fitted with warning systems to alert drivers when they exceed the speed limit.
His Majesty will officially open the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre. a major new humanities centre at the University of Oxford, today.
The new centre brings together seven humanities faculties, research institutes and cultural spaces.
The King will meet the university’s chancellor, Lord William Hague, and businessman Stephen Schwarzman, who supported the development of the centre.
He will also engage with project contributors, academics from the university’s humanities division, the centre’s cultural programme team, and community organisations that use the site.
READ MORE: Abingdon centenarian receives special card from the King
The King will be serenaded by a choir of secondary school pupils before unveiling a plaque to officially inaugurate the building.
He will then visit the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, showcasing a gallery of historical instruments.
The King will also see the Sohmen Concert Hall, the world’s first ultra-energy efficient “Passivhaus” standard concert venue, with a student music group rehearsal.
The centre, open to the public, merges academic and cultural activities under a single roof, featuring seven humanities faculties, and the Oxford Internet Institute.
It is also home to a brand-new Bodleian Humanities library.
The single largest construction project in Oxford University’s history, it combines a space for research and a stage for the world.
The centre’s year-round cultural programme, first launched in April 2026, introduces the public to an eclectic mix of music, dance, theatre, and film.
Performance venues within the centre include the Passivhaus concert hall, which boasts 500 seats.
- Read our coverage with pictures of this event on the Oxford Mail website and in tomorrow’s newspaper. More follows…
The incident happened after a woman drove a white Vauxhall Corsa northbound and the vehicle left the road ending up in a ditch the A34 northbound, near to the East Ilsley junction. The crash happened at around 10am on Wednesday, July 8.
She remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
Thames Valley Police have launched an appeal for witnesses or anyone with dash-cam footage to come forward as part of its investigation.
PC John Henry Kelly, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “We are carrying out a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this collision and would urge anyone who witnessed it, or who may have relevant footage, to please come forward.
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“If you have dash-cam footage, please come forward.
“We are also appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the white Vauxhall Corsa travelling northbound on the A34 to please to get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or submit a report on the Thames Valley Police website, quoting reference 43260346786.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The agents for Ann Widdecombe have announced that the 78-year-old sadly died yesterday, Thursday, July 9.
In a statement Cloud9 Management said: “It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of The Right Honourable Ann Widdecombe DSG.
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“We send our deepest condolences to Ann’s family and friends.”
Ms Widdecombe was a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald, and held several ministerial positions in Sir John Major’s government.
She left the House of Commons in 2010 but remained active in politics serving as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party.
In 2023 she joined Reform UK and the party’s leader Nigel Farage has shared a tribute on social media.
He said: “When Ann Widdecombe decided to stand for The Brexit Party in the snap 2019 European Elections, it was a big moment and huge boost. The voters loved her.
“She played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line and will be missed by us all.”
Ms Widdecombe read Latin at Birmingham University before studying philosophy, politics and economics at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, where she was involved in the Oxford Union.
While there she had embarked on a three-year romance, ending it in order to focus on her career.
Otherwise she claimed to have no interest in sex, and never married.
In her post-Commons career she appeared on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 partnered with Anton du Beke, and survived until the competition’s semi-finals thanks to the public vote.
Cloud9 Management added: “For many, of course, she will be best (or worst?) remembered for her unforgettable appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, defying the judges week after week as the public delighted in her unsuccessful attempts to follow the choreography of the long-suffering Anton Du Beke.”
Others have also expressed their tributes.
Broadcaster Piers Morgan said: “A wonderfully no-nonsense, straight-talking, highly-opinionated British battle-axe.
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“Ann was always a very feisty, combative interviewee, but always great fun too. Amid so many dreary politicians, she was a charismatic, combative gem.”
Associated Editor of the Jeremy Vine show, Kevin Maguire, said: “Saddened and shocked at the sudden death of Ann Widdecombe, 78, the Reform politician and former Conservative MP and Minister plus, of course, star of Strictly and panto
“Disagreed on most things but she was kindly and I enjoyed clashing and pulling her leg on the Jeremy Vine show.”
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