VILLAGERS in Oare are uniting to crack down on drivers who repeatedly speed past their homes, saying they are taking action before someone is killed.

Parish councillors, parents and Oare Primary School governors fear the combination of drivers repeatedly exceeding the 30mph speed limit along the A345 in the village and the very narrow Huish Corner is putting people’s lives at risk.

Huish Corner has no pavement for children to use when walking to Oare Primary School in Cold Blow, and cars are not able to see them when coming off the A345.

Since 2000 a Speed Watch team has been set up and two traffic surveys have been carried out but the parish council’s efforts to put in 30mph repeater signs, mirrors at the Huish junction, speed cameras, chicanes, roundabouts, a 20mph speed limit and flashing active warning signs have all been rejected.

“We have tried everything we can think of but, as a parish council, a lot of what we want to do is out of our remit,” said Wilcot and Huish with Oare Parish Council chairman Dee Nix.

“This is something we have tried to find an answer to for decades and we are determined to finally find a solution. We are working with Wiltshire Council and will approach MP Claire Perry about what we can do.

“We have not given up. The parish council has been progressing a project to install village gateways at the southern end of the village but not the northern end as it presents too many engineering difficulties for it to be viable to install the gates.

“This project is ongoing and we have the full co-operation of the County Highways engineer and hope to complete this project in the first quarter of 2017.”

Mother-of-three Gemma Garnett, 32, of Rudge Lane, is worried about her children’s safety when walking along Huish Lane up to the primary school. said: “Children are frightened when walking along there to school. When I walk along there with my three kids it can be really scary. Cars whizz along the A345 and then turn in very quickly to Huish Corner. Here they are blind when they turn in as visibility is very poor and there is nowhere to walk.”

“My five-year-old son was soaked through from a speeding car along there and he had to do a whole day in school like this. It is an accident waiting to happen.”To join the community speed watch team call 07765 255706.

Gio Britten, of the primary school’s PTA, added: “If nothing is done, this could be life-threatening. The parish council are trying their best to find a solution but the answer still eludes us.”