A COUPLE whose cottage was badly damaged when two cars skidded off the A12 within hours of each other today welcomed news highways experts will closely re-examine the stretch of road.

A COUPLE whose cottage was badly damaged when two cars skidded off the A12 within hours of each other today welcomed news highways experts will closely re-examine the stretch of road.

The Highways Agency has revealed an initial investigation failed to uncover any problems with the stretch near Stratford St Mary but it pledged its experts would conduct a more detailed investigation to understand why the almost identical crashes happened.

A spokesman for the agency said: “The Highways Agency has completed its initial investigation and found there was an unusually high volume of rain at the time of the accidents, which led to surface water on the carriageway.

“We have inspected the drains and they were functioning satisfactorily.

“These were the first accidents on record at this particular location and of this particular nature.

“We will now carry out a more detailed investigation of the road surface and drainage, and consider whether we need to carry out any improvements.”

The first crash happened at 6.30am on August 24 when a blue Ford Mondeo spun out of control in the heavy rain and hit a crash barrier before careering backwards into the front of Buttercup Cottage, the home of Ann and William Burgess.

The car badly damaged the front wall of the cottage and demolished the front fence.

Seven hours later, at 1.40pm, the driver of a Toyota Lucida people carrier lost control in an almost identical accident and smashed into a builder's truck parked outside the Burgess' cottage.

Both drivers escaped uninjured but the accidents have left Mr and Mrs Burgess and their neighbours, who live in a stretch of houses between Cutlers Lane and Woodgate Road, living in fear.

They say there has been a spate of similar crashes in the past and insist improvements need to be made to the road.

Mrs Burgess, 60, said: “The drains weren't working satisfactorily otherwise it wouldn't have happened.

“After the second accident the driver said it was like a lake at the bottom of the hill and both the drivers said they aquaplaned when they got to the top of the hill.

“We don't feel safe anymore. Who's going to sit in the front room if something like that is going to happen again?

“We really need a barrier or something to make it safer because we need to feel safe in our own homes.”

Work on the Burgess' damaged cottage is not expected to be complete until at least mid-September.

Weblink: www.highways.gov.uk