A RESIDENT who repeatedly saw his wall destroyed by speeding motorists has won his battle for road safety improvements at the accident blackspot.

William Marsh, 71, has seen the destruction of his front garden wall six times in the last ten years at his home on Colchester Road, Halstead.

Speeding drivers often lost control at the mini-roundabout at the junction of Colchester Road and Fenn Road.

Mr Marsh, who has lived there for 22 years, was forced to rebuild his wall in January 2018 - only for it to be knocked down again just five days later.

The repairs cost Mr Marsh a whopping £6,000.

With help from Halstead town councillor Dave Gronland, the town’s representative on Braintree Council’s highways panel, as well as other residents, Mr Marsh has finally seen changes made to the nearby mini-roundabout.

Mr Marsh said: “We had a meeting with several other residents and we sat and discussed it all and one of the suggestions was to put in an island to make the road narrower.

“It definitely seems to be slowing down the traffic - it’s definitely better than it was.”

Changes to the mini-roundabout, which were carried out by Essex Highways, include a new traffic island, which narrows the road, and new road markings and signs.

Mr Marsh said: “It’s obviously a large weight off my mind.

“I was concerned about my wall but I was mainly concerned for the safety of people walking there.

“If the wall gets damaged then that’s fine because you can pay to get it fixed but somebody’s life, somebody dying – you can’t repay that.”

Mr Marsh said he was incredibly thankful for everyone’s support.

He said: “I just want to say thank you to everyone and the council too for helping me get something done.

“Thank you on my behalf.

“It’s taken three years but it’s good to know that our efforts were worthwhile – I’m really pleased. Sometimes its worth trying to get things done you know – it’s not always in vain.”