To have one car crash into your garden wall may be regarded as misfortune.
To have six begins to look like, well … it’s probably time to move out.
Except Tom Wardle, 67, and his 73-year-old wife Shirley can’t sell their house because it’s so accident-prone.
Mr Wardle says the sixth car to hit his wall, above, was driven by a young man travelling over the speed limit
Mr Wardle, above, has had to repair the destruction and make £15,000 worth of insurance claims
They have had to rebuild their garden wall six times in less than three years, costing their insurers £15,000.
The couple’s home in Bretforton, near Evesham in Worcestershire, is in a 30mph zone, but sits 75 yards from a sharp bend which is a notorious black spot.
The first crash was in September 2010, just months after they put their four-bedroom home on the market for £350,000.
The next crash happened in April 2011, followed by two in August the same year and a fifth last July.
The most recent accident happened a week ago.
Last year the couple took £75,000 off the asking price, but they have now given up all hope of finding a buyer.
Mr Wardle, right, said: ‘These crashes are obviously down to the road deteriorating because this never used to happen. But the council won’t do anything about it. They put a sign up, but people ignore it.’
The fifth car, above, was left in the familiar spot after skidding off the road in July 2012
Car number four, above, came off the road on August 26, 2011, leaving the garden wall obliterated
The third car, above, destroyed the wall - which is 75 yards from the middle of a sharp bend - in August 2011
‘I need to get this sorted out because the crashes regularly destroy our home, and the council won’t respond to me.
‘It’s having a really bad effect on my health and my wife’s health, and it’s just so infuriating to see these cars knocking down my wall all the time.
‘Nothing will be done about it until someone dies. There are lots of schoolchildren that walk through here, so something needs to be done desperately.
‘Even when cars aren’t speeding they still skid round the bend, so it’s the road surface which isn’t good enough.
‘Every year we plant loads of daffodils and dinner plate dalia flowers, and every year they get destroyed.
‘We were desperate to sell this house, but it’s just not going to happen, everyone knows about the trouble with it.
‘We’ve just given up now and took the house off the market.’
A driver smashed into their property just months they put it on the market for £350,000 in September 2010.
Builders then had to repair the couple’s wall twice in one month after cars hit it on August 4 and 26 2011.
The second car to crash into the home of Mr Wardle, who said the road needs to be resurfaced to improve grip
The garden wall in Bretforton, Worcestershire, was hit by the first car, above, in September 2010
The latest incident took place on the evening of April 13 when a driver in his early twenties lost control and careered into the couple’s garden.
Tom added: ‘People round here know how dangerous the road is, so they need to have more respect for my property.
‘This young lad the other day was definitely over the speed limit, and he didn’t even show any remorse afterwards.
‘Friends in the area told me he was on Facebook and Twitter afterwards laughing about it. It’s no laughing matter.’
Jon Fraser, highways manager at Worcestershire County Council, said: ‘We have taken Mr Wardle’s concerns very seriously and last year speed and skid resistance tests resulted in a permanent speed activated sign being installed at the bend on Bretforton Main Street.
‘Following the recent incident, the county highways’ inspectors will carry out a further assessment of the road surface which may have deteriorated over the winter months.‘We will also liaise with West Mercia Police with the aim of increasing enforcement on site.’