A HORTON man was left shocked after a car crashed into his property, despite decades of campaigning to see the speed limit lowered.

Andrew Bradbury, of Puddlebridge, said he was stunned when a white van lost control on the bend going through Firs Cottages, spun, and crashed into his wall.

But it is not the first time, with a series of crashes costing him thousands in repairs.

The speed limit on the stretch of road is 60mph, while the adjacent straight on the A303 has a 50mph speed restriction and in the nearby village of Horton, cars can not exceed 30mph.

The latest crash in Puddlebridge happened at around 8.30pm last Tuesday.

Mr Bradbury said: “It was a big bang, an almighty bang. We thought it was thunder.

“This young man had come around the corner in a small transit van and he has gone head first into the wall and he spun round and went backwards into it and some bricks flew into the fence.

“About 30 years ago we first tried to a speed limit in. You can travel faster here than you can on the bypass.

“We have had three accidents here in the last three years. The telegraph pole was taken out about three years ago when we were all sat around having our Christmas dinner. The whole area was without electricity.

“One year we had ice and there were 15 accidents. It is always a degree or two colder here than 100 yards away.

“We have been here 40 years and we have been trying to put in a speed restriction for most of that.

“We have tried with the parish council and we went to a meeting and our county councillor tried to get behind it.

“In the village is 30mph, the bypass is 50mph and here is a nasty bend but it is 60mph.”

Mr Bradbury still hasn’t been able to fully replace a section of wall that was destroyed in a previous crash.

He added: “This crash will cost us thousands, and to rebuild the other wall will be another £700 to £800. The fencing was probably £2,500 to £3,000.”

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “When considering lowering speed limits there are a number of factors we have to consider, including existing vehicle speeds and collision data.

"We do regularly review speed limits and would encourage anyone with a concern to visit www.trafficchoices.co.uk/somerset to find out more about the process.”