The majority of speed cameras in Oxfordshire could be turned off if new county council proposals to cut spending on road safety go ahead.

Funding to the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, which operates speed cameras across the county, is set to be reduced.

County Hall is being warned that cost-cutting could virtually put an end to the operation of speed cameras on county roads, because there would not be enough money to replace film and prosecute drivers.

The partnership says the council’s decision could either result in fewer cameras being moved around the existing network of camera sites — or it could mean taking down the vast majority of the county’s 72 boxes While some motorists would be relieved to see Oxfordshire effectively getting rid of speed cameras, road safety campaigners fear the loss of cameras would see increases in road deaths and injuries.

The safer roads partnership says its work has helped cut road deaths by 53 per cent in the county since 2000, with speed cameras accounting for about 85 per cent of its spending.

The partnership already knew that it would have its budget for Oxfordshire’s roads cut when it was announced that the Government would be reducing the amount it gives for road safety in the Thames Valley from about £4m to about £3m.

This money is handed out to councils, who then decide how much of it to pass on to the safer roads partnership.

Previously, Oxfordshire County Council had passed on about two-thirds to three-quarters of the money.

But it is now considering passing on a much smaller proportion, effectively giving the partnership a smaller slice of a smaller cake.

Spokesman for the partnership Dan Campsall said it amounted to a 70 per cent reduction in the funding from the council.

He said: “This would inevitably mean that we would have to reduce enforcement quite drastically. We would be talking about the majority of speed cameras going.

“If we don’t get funding, you risk having an increase in casualties on the roads.”

There are 72 fixed camera sites in Oxfordshire, with around ten per cent in use at any one time, and 89 mobile locations.

The safer roads partnership also operates seven ‘red light’ cameras at traffic lights.

All the money generated in fines from the speed cameras has, since 2007, gone to central government coffers.

Partners in the safer roads partnership include Thames Valley Police, local authorities and the Highways Agency.

Steve Howell, the council’s head of transport, painted a bleak picture of future funding for the partnership.

He said: “This year’s grant has now been cut back by about 30 per cent by the Government. This leads us to believe that this particular stream of funding will be targeted for further cuts — and maybe a complete cut following the Government’s comprehensive spending review in the autumn.

“That would mean the county council had no funding to offer from April 2011. If only a small amount of grant money was forthcoming, the council would have to consider whether this would be better spent elsewhere.”

The reduction in the amount the safer roads partnership is getting comes in the latest round of county council spending cuts.

Officers this week announced they had drawn up £10.5m of cuts to services in the 2010-11 financial year.

County services that will also suffer reductions this year include the Connexions careers advice service, specialist training for school staff, weekend opening of young people’s centres, youth and youth offending projects, the Healthy Schools programme and school travel for low-income families.

Business advice, projects dealing with domestic abuse and deprivation, and renewable energy projects will also be affected.

A number of major projects due to be carried out this year have been put on hold. They include a controlled parking zone in the Magdalen Road and Divinity Road area.