A COUPLE whose garden has been destroyed six times by cars careering off a nearby roundabout are demanding urgent action to make the junction safer. Lynda and Raymond Timberlake who live along Sandridge High Street by the junction with Langley Grove are t

A COUPLE whose garden has been destroyed six times by cars careering off a nearby roundabout are demanding urgent action to make the junction safer.

Lynda and Raymond Timberlake who live along Sandridge High Street by the junction with Langley Grove are terrified that someone could be killed unless changes are made to the road outside their cottage.

In the last 15 years, a total of six cars have left the road at the mini-roundabout and plunged into their garden -- and the first incident involved a police car which landed upside down in their fish pond.

Despite numerous complaints to Herts County Council about the problem over the years, no safety measures have been carried out at the danger spot.

The most recent accident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning when a 17-year-old youth crashed his red Peugeot 206 into the garden, crushing six conifer trees along the border and smashing through a metal girder and a concrete post.

Police attended the scene and he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving but Mr Timberlake, aged 60, and his 58-year-old wife slept through the commotion and the officers left without notifying them.

Mrs Timberlake said: "It's just common decency. They could have dropped a note in the door."

Oblivious to the accident, Mr Timberlake woke up in the morning and went out to tend his plants only to find them and the garden destroyed with car debris scattered across it.

The couple had only just replanted the garden after it was damaged by a similar accident last summer.

They believe cars approach Sandridge from Wheathampstead at speed and hit the raised roundabout which acts as a launch pad.

Angry that Herts Highways have failed to address the problem despite promising them action would be taken last summer, the couple are now demanding immediate safety measures.

Mrs Timberlake said: "It's the sixth time it has happened. This really is a desperate issue. I'm just terrified someone's going to be killed soon. It's mainly due to bad driving but there is an issue with the mini roundabout."

Because she no longer works, Mrs Timberlake spends a lot of time in the garden during the day and she is concerned that another accident will occur when she is there or when someone is walking along the pavement.

A spokesperson for Herts Highways said they were aware of a number of accidents at the roundabout but were awaiting details of the last incident from the police before they reviewed the layout which should be completed in the next week.

A police spokesperson said the officers attending Sunday's incident felt there was no risk to the property and because it was so early they decided not to wake the homeowners but the officer in charge had since contacted them.