A SENIOR police officer has criticised efforts to ease delays at a busy Bicester road junction – but admits no-one knows how to solve the problems.

traffic officer Insp Martin Percival said putting a yellow box junction on part of the roundabout at Oxford Road and Pingle Drive, on the edge of the town, was a wrong move.

However, he admitted he did not have a solution to the congestion problems facing the town – and claimed no-one else did either.

Last month, Oxfordshire County Council announced a number of measures aimed at improving traffic flow at the junction ahead of Easter.

These included a trial of traffic lights, which proved unsuccessful, and the yellow box markings – an area drivers must not enter unless their exit is clear.

Mr Percival, who was speaking at a Cherwell District Council meeting, said: “To be honest, I’m not going to put police officers on the roundabout at Bicester Village to police the box junction.

“It was wrongly put there in the first place, without consultation.

“We’re fighting a losing battle at the moment. Police presence does help, but as soon as we go away to answer a call, it happens again.

“I get numerous letters about traffic in Bicester and asking whether the police are going to do anything about it. I haven’t got the answer to it, sadly, and I haven’t met anyone who has.

“What I would like to see is better access to Bicester Village, which would ultimately help traffic flow through Bicester.”

The county council has been under mounting pressure to resolve the situation since the post-Christmas sales, when the town came to a standstill at times due to the number of people trying to go shopping at Bicester Village.

Residents launched a campaign on the Facebook website calling for a solution. More than 4,000 have signed up to support the campaign.

Ann Parker, of Kings End, said: “For the first couple of weeks people left the box free but now they’re blocking it, or certainly blocking two thirds of it.

“We’re already the May bank holidays.”

County council spokesman Marcus Mabberley said: “The yellow box marking on the Tesco roundabout is being trialled to try to alleviate traffic congestion. It replaced a ‘Keep Clear’ sign, which was often ignored, and it’s hoped that drivers will adhere more to the new markings.

“The council has been discussing congestion issues in this area with the police and will continue to do so.”

He said the trial was expected to be reviewed in six months, but other schemes were in the pipeline, including improvements at Junction Nine on the M40, near Bicester, where the motorway meets the A34.