SELFISH drivers speeding through Malmesbury are ignoring the 20mph zone and councillors fear their recklessness could end in a serious accident unless something is done to stop them.

Motorists are encouraged to drive at 20mph along High Street, Oxford Street, Abbey Row and Cross Hayes.

The speed humps are supposed to slow them down but Coun Martin Snell says they are having little effect.

He said: 'We are far too complacent about traffic problems in the town. People are oblivious to the 20mph zone and Abbey Row in particular is becoming dangerous because of the volume of traffic.

"I can see a chid in a pram being killed there.

"The issue of speeding in Malmesbury needs to be addressed. A lot of vehicles are using the town as a racetrack.

"An accident is going to happen sooner or later."

Coun Snell added one solution would be to introduce a chicane system in the town to slow down traffic, because this would give pedestrians more right of way at crossing points.

Mayor Patrick Goldstone agreed some drivers were not getting the message about the 20mph zone.

He said: "I am at a loss to know what to do with these drivers.

"You see some vrooming and screeching around the town.

"The only way of enforcing a 20mph zone is to have speed humps.'

District and county councillor John Thomson said there was always going to be a minority of drivers who did not follow the rules and were frequently speeding around the town despite the restrictions.

He said: "The majority of people driving around Malmesbury are safe.

"But if some are driving like lunatics then they should be reported to the police.

"If the police have lots of complaints then they can issue an anti-social behaviour order against the driver."

PC Emma Cooper from Malmesbury Police said they had not received many complaints about speeding in the town.

She said a traffic officer would be focusing on the Malmesbury area in the coming weeks to warn motorists to observe the 20mph limit.