LYDIARD Millicent residents have voiced fears that someone will be seriously injured or killed following the fourth incident of a car crashing into gardens at the end of Stone Lane.

In the latest crash on Saturday night a car left the road, ploughed through a hedge and garden, damaged a summerhouse and smashed through a fence.

Householder Lesley Hutchings told police on social media: “This is the fourth car that has overshot Stone Lane and gone into our garden, but there have been other incidents that have resulted in cars going into other gardens, so this affects all the residents.”

She demanded to know what could be done about the speed of traffic heading down the lane, along Purton Road and through Washpool and Common Platt.

“The traffic problem is getting worse, it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed,” she said.

The crash has brought back fears that when the 700-home Ridgeway Farm housing estate is completed problems with speed, rat runs and congestion will escalate due to the increase in traffic.

The crash promoted debate in the village community forum on Facebook where John Halstead said: "We need to lobby the politicians to maintain the planned closure of Purton Road after the Ridgeway Farm estate is complete.

"Forcing the traffic through the calming on the estate before Mead Way will encourage a large proportion to find an alternative route and reduce the traffic volume on Stone Lane.”

Others called for more speed reduction measures in the village, including humps rather than chicanes.

Parish council chairman Andrew Harris said: “It is a major issue for all of us.”

The wall of his garden in Washpool has been hit several times and in one incident just before Christmas it was demolished.

But he stressed the council wanted to wait to see where problems were going to develop before money was committed to traffic calming measures.

“Our feeling is that we need to wait until all the estate is finished so we can see where the traffic goes,” he said.

Part of Swinley Drive heading towards Swindon was set to be closed when the development opened and the council had hoped the stretch towards Casa Paola roundabout would also be closed, but it looked as though that might not happen.

“If that doesn’t happen what we will want to do is have it restricted with a 30mph limit and traffic calming to stop it being used as a rat run,” he said.

He added that existing problems with speeding were compounded by a lack of enforcement and work on Junction 16 of the M4, which was resulting in a lot of traffic through Lydiard Millicent.

Wiltshire Council urged residents to raise traffic issues through the Royal Wootton Bassett Area Board so they could be discussed with the local community area transport group.