Calls for a slower speed limit on a crash-plagued road have been rejected by Reading Borough Council (RBC).

A collision which closed the King’s Road on July 17 was the latest in a ‘steady stream of accidents’ on the thoroughfare, which has seen 31 injuries between 2019 and 2021.

The cause of the danger is disputed, with the Green Party calling for a 20mph limit by Reading College while RBC argue speeding is not a common factor.

"The accident record on Kings Road is horrendous,” said Green Party leader councillor Rob White following a crackdown by Thames Valley Police last week.

“I am glad that the police have listened to the plea from Green councillors for more action on Kings Road to improve safety. A one-off operation won't tackle the problem though. I hope that the police will be visiting Kings Road on a more regular basis.

“We also need action from the Labour-run council who unfortunately seem resistant to doing anything.”

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Police checked 30 vehicles in last week’s operation and found 19 drivers had committed road offences, including suspected drug driving and using mobile phones, but none were caught speeding.

A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council said: The incidents on Kings Road are not located or clustered around one particular area and have occurred for a variety of reasons, according to the summarised initial Police investigation data that we receive, and speeding has not been suggested as a common factor.

“Whilst we acknowledge that 20mph schemes can be helpful in potentially reducing the severity of incidents, they are not a one-stop solution and we need to consider whether such schemes are appropriate for a particular location and whether they could introduce different or additional risks.”

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There have been six fatalities in King’s Road in the 10 years ending 2021, most of which occurred at the junction with Wokingham Road, according to Crash Map data.

In the three years ending 2021, nine ‘serious’ accidents occurred.

The spokesperson said that introducing speed cushions to the busy four-lane route would create other risks, such as cyclists hugging the kerb, making them less vising to turning traffic, and motorists concentrating on the impact of the cushions rather than their surroundings.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said a community speedwatch project was in discussion, which could use volunteers to monitor speeding.