CLAIMS by an ambulance chief that speed humps can cause as many deaths as they prevent have been denied in Bolton.

The debate about measures to slow motorists has been stepped up by London Ambulance Service chairman Sigurd Reinton.

He said: "For every life saved through traffic calming, more are lost because of ambulance delays caused by the traffic calming. We should look to reduce all forms of preventable deaths on the roads."

In London a combination of traffic calming measures and congestion mean traffic can crawl along at as little as nine miles per hour. Mr Reignton believes road safety measures are responsible for a low revival rate of patients suffering heart attacks. But while Bolton Council has announced plans for a huge expansion in traffic calming measures, with all roads apart from main commuter routes set to be limited to 20 mph, Mr Reinton's concerns are not echoed here.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Ambulance Service said: "We have no evidence in this region that speed bumps have an effect on patient care. We accept they are a necessary part of accident prevention.

"We take measures to ensure staff know where speed bumps are. We believe a balance between positioning them and speed of access for emergency vehicles is necessary and local authorities should work with emergency services to make sure they are in the right location."

Deputy council leader Cllr Guy Harkin, executive member for the environment, whose remit includes road safety, is adamant that speed humps have a positive impact.

He said: "In London, where traffic is at walking pace anyway, maybe there is a particular problem. But we consult with the police, ambulance service and travel authority and they have all been positive about traffic calming."