FED-up villagers near Wellington have taken the law into their own hands and turned their streets into a 20 mph zone for traffic.

It follows years of campaigning to reduce a 30 mph speed limit through Holywell Lake, which is on a ‘rat run’ between the A38 and Wiveliscombe.

Wellington Without Parish Council has monitored increasing numbers of vehicles through the village and found a ‘high proportion’ were breaking the speed limit, with some driving faster than 60 mph.

But while it backed a 20 mph zone, it did not have funds to cover the estimated £4,000 cost of signage and new road markings.

Now, residents themselves have commissioned signage with sponsorship from Seddons estate agents to try to slow traffic.

They have joined the ‘Twenty is Plenty’ campaign and put up unofficial 20 mph signs on roadsides and in gardens.

However, they run the risk of any signs on highways land being removed because they were not legal.

One villager said: “It is only a matter of time before somebody receives life changing injuries, or a fatality.

“We would ask every driver that passes through Holywell Lake ‘how fast would you drive if your family lived here?’

“So, polite notice, if you cannot pass through slowly, or you are too large, then please stick to the main roads.”

The resident said there had been a number of accidents and near misses which compromised everybody’s safety on the largely single track road through Holywell Lake, which had few passing places.

She said: “The most troublesome spot is The Holloway, where drivers compete to see how quickly they can pass from one end to the other, thus avoiding the need to pull in or give way.

“All accidents have occurred on this stretch, plus the junctions at each end of it.

“Residents are continually being disrespected and often sworn at by impatient drivers if we happen to be walking on that stretch of the road when they come through.”

The resident said the excessive speeds of some vehicles was acknowledged both by police and Somerset highways officials, with a ‘black box’ capturing the data of 1,000 vehicles in just eight days. 

She said: “This is of huge concern to not only the residents but also walkers, cyclists, and horse riders that visit.

“Of late, there has been an increase in HGV and agricultural vehicles trying to navigate the small lanes, which is of even greater concern.

“We have been told by the parish council there are no funds at all to help us in Holywell Lake and that we have to raise everything ourselves.”

A Somerset highways spokesperson said: “We are always happy to talk to communities about road safety concerns.

“There is the possibility of 20 mph scheme for parish or town councils, this needs to be funded locally and the council can discuss this with community representatives.

“Ideally, unofficial signs are not encouraged and we would ask for them to be removed if they are on highways land.”