A CIRENCESTER councillor has renewed a desperate appeal calling on motorists to slow down after a Chesterton family’s beloved cat was knocked down and killed.

Cllr Roly Hughes, who has been campaigning for a 20mile per hour speed limit to be enforced in Chesterton for two years, has likened the area’s roads to “rat races”.

“The situation up here is terrible. It really is lethal. It’s become such a massive a problem and I have had so many people email about it,” he said.

“Something really needs to be done about it, this is the third time that a pet animal has been killed on our roads.”

Mum-of-three Tina Brunton, who did not want to speak to the Standard, was left consoling her young children following the news that their cat Rosie had been killed by a speeding motorist in Bathurst Road.

Cllr Hughes said: “This is awful. The family has lost a pedigree cat and Tina now has three children who are very upset.”

Since 2012, a ’20 is Plenty’ campaign has been running in Chesterton with more than 100 triangular signs urging drivers to slow down have appeared in some of the area’s most notorious roads.

However, Cllr Hughes told the Standard that the project has been hindered by some people who have damaged the signs.

“It is getting stupid now. I put the signs up along the streets and people just come along and rip them down,” Cllr Hughes said.

He now hopes that the campaign to bring in the lower speed limit will soon be recognised by traffic police in Cirencester.

“I would just like to tell drivers to slow down and take their time. It really is that simple and it would avoid situations like this,” he said. For more information on the ’20 is Plenty’ campaign, contact Roly Hughes on 01285 238606.