A COUPLE are calling for a lower speed limit on their road after a car smashed into the front of their house causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

The car went into the front of Sally and John Burstal’s house in Bournstream, near Wotton, colliding with their drawing room window and sending shards of glass all over their furniture.

Mrs Burstal, who has only been renting the property for two months, said that if someone had been in the room at the time they would have been killed.

"I was in the garden and I heard the scream of brakes and a crash and ran in to find a car had crashed through our front window," she said.

"There was so much mess because glass had gone absolutely everywhere. All our furniture was covered in glass, the sofas, the rugs - everything.

"If someone had have been in the room at the time, they would have been dead for sure."

Expensive period furniture that was in the room was ruined, which Mrs Burstal said was worth thousands of pounds.

The crash was the second serious accident on the stretch of road, between North Nibley and Wotton, since the start of the year and now local residents want something done about it.

Lucy D’auvergne, who lives in Bournstream Farm, wants the speed limit reduced from 50mph to 40mph. She ran across the road to help after the accident, which happened on June 29 at around 9.30am.

"I heard the crash and came running out of my house to find a car smashed into the wall of a nearby house, it looked a terrible state.

"This particular stretch of road is very dangerous and has been the scene of many accidents and near misses."

Mrs Burstal added: "It is a very, very fast road and very dangerous. It is like a race track at times, people drive round it extremely fast. Something does need to be done about it."

The speed limit on the road was changed from 60mph to 50mph last year and county councillor for Wotton Dr John Cordwell said that nothing else could be done unless motorists can be encouraged to drive slower.

"County highways have looked at the road and found no major problems," said Cllr Cordwell. "I think the problem is that people drive too fast along there. It is all very well putting speed limit signs up but unless they are enforced what is the point?

"I don’t think there is any easy answer to this, we just need to encourage people to drive more sensibly."

Peter Gasden, owner of the damaged property, said: "We have tried before to get the speed limit on the road dropped to 40mph, but they only went to 50mph. I do think they ought to look at it again."

A spokesman for Gloucestershire police said the car, which was travelling along the B4060 towards Wotton, lost control while overtaking three cars and collided with the house. The driver, a man from Cam, suffered minor injuries. Police are still investigating the incident.

If you witnessed the incident contact police on police on 0845 090 1234 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting incident number 144/June 29.