Families left shaken after a car ploughed through their front gardens this week said they feared such an accident would happen.

A black BMW crashed through four front gardens in Morrell Avenue and East Avenue, Oxford, on Wednesday afternoon, causing hundreds of pounds damage.

Now householders are calling for traffic calming measures to slow speeding cars to prevent someone being killed.

The calls came as Oxfordshire County Council gave the go-ahead to plans to introduce a 20mph speed limit on the road, which is expected to come into force in August.

Mark Kendall, 85, who lives with his wife Edna, 85, had his car dented in the crash.

He said: “The fence went and there was timber lying about all over the place. Luckily, no one was injured.

“There needs to be something done. The cars come down at a horrendous pace, especially in the early morning.

“It’s dangerous. There are elderly people who cross the road.

“I’ve lived here for 50 years and I’ve had fences demolished and walls smashed about five times.”

Father-of-three Robert Dyer, 43, said: “We have been expecting this.

“We haven’t seen a car come through the garden before, but we quite often see accidents on the corner. There should be a speed camera.”

The car came to a rest in the garden of a 40-year-old mother of four, who asked not to be named. She said: “We’re really shocked, it could have hit the house.”

Neighbours Stephen and Elizabeth Kirby, said the crash just missed their front garden.

Mr Kirby said: “The cars go down here at a terrific pace. Some people go at 60 miles per hour.

“Just last week I said we should arrange some insurance in case something like this happens.”

Mrs Kirby said: “I ride a mobile scooter and it would be good to have a pedestrian crossing. It’s dreadful the way people speed down here.”

Anthony Kirkwood, from Oxfordshire County Council’s road safety team, said: “The county council receives many requests for traffic calming measures at locations across the county each year, but, in common with every other highways authority in the country, has a limited budget for such schemes.

“There are currently no active plans for traffic calming measures at this location, although the council will continue to monitor the situation.

“It should also be noted that Morrell Avenue is included in the 20mph limit proposals approved this week.”