MPs call for 20mph speed limit

A tough regime of hidden speed cameras and 20mph limits was today demanded by MPs as they urged the Government to declare war on speeding drivers.

A Labour-dominated Commons committee said that 2,500 lives could be saved every year if ministers took the right steps to curb speeding. The report from the all-party Transport Committee, chaired by Labour rebel Gwyneth Dunwoody, will infuriate Tony Blair who has sought to avoid being portrayed as "anti-car".

The MPs condemned ministers for ordering speed cameras to be painted in bright colours to make them more visible. The committee said: "People will die as a result."