A devastated family in a narrow Marlow street are calling for the speed limit to be lowered in the road after a pet cat was killed when it was hit by a “speeding” driver.

Katy Coleman wants the speed limit in Crown Road, where she lives, to be changed to 10mph from 30mph after her cat Charlie was run over by a car last week.

She told the Marlow Free Press the road is regularly used as a “rat run” towards Sainsbury’s.

She said: “Our wonderful cat was run over and killed by a speeding driver, leaving our whole family including my six year old daughter, distraught.

“For the last 12 years he has been our family pet but due to the actions of one careless driver, he was taken from us.”

Miss Coleman also criticised Marlow Town Council’s proposal to add a new deck to the Riley Road car park, behind the supermarket, saying it would increase the level of traffic going through the road.

She added: “I worry that it won't be long before a child or elderly person is injured, or worse, on this road.

“Car drivers are frequently mentioned as having nowhere to park in Marlow, but for once I believe the lives of the residents, family and pets should be taken into consideration.”

Miss Coleman told the Free Press she found out about her cat’s death from her au pair after she had dropped her daughter off to school on May 23.

She said: “When my au pair told me my cat had been run over I couldn’t believe it.

“We have been very careful not to let him out of the front most of the time.

“He was a beloved family member. We are absolutely devastated at his loss.”

Transport for Bucks said it had to prioritise where funding for road safety schemes could be given according to where reported personal injury crashes have occurred in the past five years.

Spokesman Florence Matthews said: “We’re sorry to hear of the collision and the death of the family cat.

“There have been no injury collisions on Crown Road reported to Thames Valley Police in the last five years, and just one in the last 20 years.

“It is not a road therefore where we are currently looking to implement a safety scheme or speed limit reduction.”

She said the lowest speed limit that could be considered under current legislation is 20mph and requests for a reduced speed limit should receive local support and funding through the South West Chilterns & Marlow Local Area Forum working in partnership with the Marlow Town Council (MTC).

The town council said in a statement: “Marlow Town Council has expressed its condolences to the resident whose cat was run over by a speeding driver in Crown Road.

“MTC has undertaken to contact the Bucks County Council local area technician and ask him to visit Crown Road urgently to look at traffic speeds.

“In addition, the council has a portable speed registering device and is looking at a suitable location to erect it in Crown Road in order to gather some data on traffic speeds.”