14237/1Frustrated Corston residents say drivers speeding on the A429 through the village are making their lives a misery.

The noise of the traffic has forced residents to sleep at the back of their houses and install secondary glazing, costing hundreds of pounds.

Many are too frightened to walk with their children because lorry drivers regularly exceed the speed limit and mount the footpath.

The plea for drivers to slow down came from Joanna Watchman and Lisa Ryan, from Barton Way, Corston.

They live opposite a flashing sign urging drivers to reduce their speed to 30mph. But Miss Watchman, who has lived there for 14 months, says drivers pay no attention to it.

She has already spent more than £400 on secondary glazing in an attempt to block out the noise of the traffic.

Miss Watchman said: "There is a terrible vibration caused by the traffic speeding outside my house. This means if I want a to rest I have to sleep at the back of the house. It has deeply affected my living environment and everyone else in the village.

"Recently, there was a centenary celebration for the village reading room, but you could not hear anything that was said because of the lorries and cars hurtling by.

"Many people will not even walk on the footpath because they are frightened of being hit by cars flying around the corner at the Rodbourne Arms pub. In some places the kerb is almost at the same level as the road. People ought to rise up and demand action on this issue."

Resurfacing the road, building higher pavements and stopping lorry drivers using the route are possible solutions, according to Miss Watchman.

Next-door neighbour Lisa Ryan says residents must feel safer in their own village.

Mrs Ryan said: "The situation has become so ridiculous that many mothers are too frightened to let their children use the footpath and walk home from the bus stop. So now they collect them by car.

"To try and block out the traffic noise outside my husband and I sleep at the back of the house. We have also had to install secondary glazing to make life quieter."

She added: "You are taking your life into your hands walking along the footpath. Drivers going into and out of the village, forget the signs and often accelerate to well over 60mph. It is spoiling our beautiful village."

County councillor John Thomson said the A429 was due to be re-surfaced and a new crossing was being designed to slow traffic.

"Ultimately, properties on this road may be worth less in the future," he said. "But we all drive through somebody's village at some time. I have done speed checks with the police and they actually show there is a minimal speeding. It is a perceived problem."

Peter Hatherell, who chairs the highways committee of the parish council, said he would raise the issue with police.

Coun Hatherell said: "If people say drivers are not sticking to the 30mph limit I will ask the police to carry out speed checks.

"We are aware that the height of the footpath concerns people and have asked for the Highways Department to raise it. Speeding has always been a problem in Corston and I think we will never completely stop it. It is part of a national problem."

PC Simon Pope from Malmesbury Police urged motorists to obey the posted speeding limit in Corston.

He said: "People need to put pressure on the parish council for changes to be made."

Wiltshire County Council spokesman Matthew Walford said the speed limit had already been reduced from 40mph to 30mph.

However he said councillors would re-examine any more traffic-calming requests they received.