Life in ‘forgotten’ Lincolnshire village where people live in fear of being hit by speeding cars
In a small village nestled in the Lincolnshire countryside with just over a few hundred residents, the chance of a peaceful rural life is blighted by speedy motorists[1] that hurl down the main road. That’s according to people in Anwick[2], who say they live in fear of being knocked over by cars and lorries that tear through the village at high speeds.
The A153 Main Road, which runs through the village, recorded the highest[3] number of speeding offences in Lincolnshire in the past year. The road itself has a 60mph limit until you approach Anwick, which has a strict 30mph limit throughout and a speed camera further into the village.
Despite 7,880 speeding offences being handed out on the road between April 2023 and April 2024, residents say motorists continue to speed into the village, leaving them trapped in a dangerous situation. Julie Baines, who has lived in Anwick for 20 years, said: “They come flying into the village, brake for the camera, and then speed up again. You can hear them, motorbikes especially. It’s bad and it’s hard to get across the road because there is no crossing.
“They need to do more regular speed checks in the village. As soon as they go past the camera they put their foot down. I’m not surprised that the road has had the most speeding offences.”
Glyn Lowe and Jane Carter have lived in Anwick for 10 years but say that speeding is one of the reasons they want to leave. Glyn said: “They come in quick and slow down for the camera, and as soon as they’re past they speed up again. Even adding a crossing would probably put people in danger because nobody seems to bother. The lack of police presence is shocking too.”
Jane added: “When they see you cross the road they don’t slow down, they speed up. So if we had a crossing you’d probably end up getting knocked over. It’s a forgotten village, Anwick. There’s no care for anything. Nobody cares about the village at all.”
A153 Main Road speed camera in Anwick (Image: Lincolnshire Live)
For some residents, the fear of accidents has become a reality. Terry Evans has lived in Anwick for 20 years. He says he was knocked over by a speeding motorist two years ago and ended up in hospital, just before his daughter’s wedding. The 76-year-old said: “I was crossing the road and a car was coming and I assumed it was doing less than 30mph.
“Suddenly it came up really quick and knocked me down on the road. It didn’t stop. I told the police but nothing came of it. I’m not surprised about the figures. You can hear the engine notes as you walk around the village change when they go past the camera.
“When I was coming back yesterday, I got into the 30 and a lorry behind me suddenly sped up and came right up my rear end all the way up to my road. It’s like that all the time. It’s a rotten road and it’s getting busier.”
Mirella Gray moved to Anwick over two years ago and says she noticed an issue with speeding straight away. She said: “Since we’ve moved in, the road has become even busier. It’s bad. I get picked up by a school bus because I take disabled children to school, and the amount of cars that overtake is awful.
“It’s bad when you’re trying to cross the road to get to the shop. It would be nice to have a crossing or something but it’s a question of where you’d have it. We come from the city and they drive like lunatics up here. Even trying to get out of our close is getting worse and worse.
“We’ve had quite a few near misses and even lost a wing mirror on the bus. You’ll get hooted at for slowing down to pull into our close. It’s lucky there isn’t a lot of young children.”
Jean Hendon has lived in the village for 21 years. She said: “It’s so dangerous. We have to get to the other side to get to the shop and you just can’t do it now. The cars are just too fast. It’s disgusting.
“I think we could do with a patrolled crossing and I think that would slow it down. It’s just madness. When you’re getting older it’s harder to cross the road and we’re getting more lorries as well. It’s a lot for a little village, it’s a shame really.”
Lincolnshire has become known as a speeding hotspot in recent years with a large roads network spanning thousands of miles. A total of £17 million worth of speeding fines have been issued to Lincolnshire drivers in the last three years, with £5 million of fines handed out this past year.
The Lincolnshire Police website states: “Speed limits are set for a reason and exceeding them is illegal. The minimum penalty for speeding is £100 fine and three points added to your licence.
“Receiving 12 or more points within three years may disqualify you from driving. If you’re a newly qualified driver and receive six points during the first two years after passing your test, your licence will automatically be cancelled (revoked). To get it back you’ll need to apply and pay for a new provisional licence and pass both theory and practical tests again.”