Couple use crash barrier to stop cars hitting home

A couple said they installed a motorway-style crash barrier outside their home as they feared vehicles smashing through their wall and into their property.

Chris and Lyn Shelton from Beckhithe, Norfolk said speeding cars had already ended up in their garden on a number of occasions.

"It's a bit disconcerting to say the least," said Mr Shelton who wanted safety measures added to the road which runs through the tiny hamlet they live in near Norwich.

Norfolk County Council said it was "aware of resident concerns" but had no plans to change the layout of the road.

The couple – who described Beckhithe as "a lovely place to live" - said cars had crashed through their garden wall "two or three times", including one incident involving a drink driver.

"At nine o clock at night, he came steaming through – into the neighbour's car [then] into our wall," said Mr Shelton.

He said the barrier he installed was "exactly the same as you'll get on the motorways" and could "stop a lorry going through".

"It does give us peace of mind just in case anything was to come crashing through the wall," added Mrs Shelton.

Neighbour Wendy Allsop warned speeding vehicles were a regular problem and said traffic calming measures like chicanes could make the road safer.

"We've got the rugby club just up the road and at weekends we have children crossing back and forth – that's a real danger for them with cars travelling up to 60 miles an hour," she said.

Norfolk's Labour Police and Crime Commissioner, Sarah Taylor, said she was backing the residents' call for the county council to review the road.

A spokesman for the council said there "are currently no plans to install chicanes at this location" and the road's speed limit had been "set in accordance with the speed strategy approved by the Department of Transport".

"However, we continuously review our countywide road network safety measures and accident data and we will continue to engage with residents and police about matters of road safety," he added.

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