A Bromley councillor has faced a social media backlash after suggesting there was no evidence that 20mph zones help with road safety.

This comes after Headteacher of La Fontaine Academy, Dr Sebastien Chapleau, said his students did not feel safe walking to school.

In response, Leader of Bromley Council, Colin Smith, told News Shopper: “I recently convened a meeting comprising of the three local schools’ head teachers and traffic engineers where it was agreed that improved existing signage and additional 20mph signage would be introduce along Bishops Avenue, Tylney Road and Nightingale Lane.”

However, Conservative Councillor and chairman of adult care services, Mary Cooke, tweeted on Monday (April 30) that there was no evidence 20mph limits increase road safety.

She wrote: “But there is no evidence that 20mph limits help with road safety one jot, in fact the reverse. Ask Manchester or Lambeth. It’s unenforceable and adds to pollution.

“Is worse pollution now LiarDems policy? If you want to be a serious politician do some research.”

This came after a Liberal Democrat candidate for West Wickham, James Spencer-Boyce, tweeted that 20mph limits were adequate for roads with schools, doctor surgeries and care homes.

Cllr Cooke has since deleted the tweet.

Over 500 people have signed a '20 is plenty for Bromley' petition.

A statement on the petition reads: "Bromley has the highest proportion of road casualties that occur on its residential roads of any London borough.

"A 20mph limit for all residential roads in Bromley will help make our streets safer and more liveable as well as improving air quality."

News Shopper contacted councillors Colin Smith and Mary Cooke to clarify the borough’s position on 20mph limits.

Councillor Smith referred to a statement he made in 2015 where he said: "Bromley has historically implemented 20 mph in residential roads where problems have been seen to exist."

He later added in the same statement: "The simple fact remains, and this is attested to by on-going complaints, that 20mph signs do not work without enforcement as the complaints about speeding vehicles continue to come in to the Council’s and the police’s road safety teams.

"It is also the case that only a small percentage of KSI (Killed and Seriously Injured) accidents, which drive the funding before them, occur on ‘residential roads’, the vast majority occurring on distributor and main roads, almost every single one of which also hosts multiple ‘residences’ along their length."