Dinosaur tracks to be protected

[Still Waters]

Dinosaur footprints discovered in Oxfordshire mudflats are to be protected as part of a geological conservation site.

Up to 40 sets of tracks, at Ardley Trackways near Bicester, include those belonging to large dinosaurs related to Brachiosaurus and Tyrannosaurus.

The tracks, found in 1997, are located alongside where the M40 now runs.

Natural England confirmed that the area has been made a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

The board will decide whether to confirm the designation in four months, after a public consultation.

Researchers have been able to work out how fast the dinosaurs were travelling by studying the distance between individual footprints.

It is thought that some of the species reached speeds of up to 20mph (32kph).

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