UP to 20 cars have been damaged in 12 months by motorists speeding through a village and knocking off wing mirrors at a cost of thousands of pounds.Residents in Wickham Market, near Woodbridge, are asking for the enforcement of a 30mph speed limit in the High Street by Rackham's Mill and the introduction of traffic calming measures and speed warning signs.

UP to 20 cars have been damaged in 12 months by motorists speeding through a village and knocking off wing mirrors at a cost of thousands of pounds.

Residents in Wickham Market, near Woodbridge, are asking for the enforcement of a 30mph speed limit in the High Street by Rackham's Mill and the introduction of traffic calming measures and speed warning signs.

Christine Knight, who has lived in a 250-year-old terraced property for 14 years, said the walls shook when lorries thundered past and her car had been damaged several times. Her neighbour, Eileen Winkel, has had her car damaged three times in eight months.

In the last two months there have been seven cars damaged and dead birds and a dead cat have been found on the High Street.

Mrs Knight said: ''People charge past here at anything up to 70mph late at night. There are old people and children around here and it is almost scary at times because people are going so fast.''

David Bradley said: ''We want something done as quickly as possible. We would appreciate some sort of signage or road markings.

''We are getting agricultural vehicles, vans and others rat running through here. Then they realise they have come too fast, they have to pull in tight and they take off the wing mirrors.''

The parish council has discussed the problems experienced by residents at the lower end of the High Street, near the junction with the A12, at three meetings.

Suffolk County Council plans to strengthen the bridge near Rackham's Mill and it is possible this work could be combined with traffic calming measures.

Cath Caudwell, parish clerk, said: ''We are living in an old village and it was not designed to take the volumes of motor traffic that we experience these days. The residents are clearly concerned at the continued damage to their vehicles, and obviously want things doing as soon as possible.

''However, any changes invariably have a knock-on effect and we need to see what the effect of the bridge works will have before anything further is done. If it proves to slow the incoming traffic down so that they take more care over passing the parked vehicles then it will have been successful.''

Woodbridge police monitored speeds and found there was enough evidence of speeding to justify targetting the area once a month. But this has not been enforced because Suffolk county council and the police force have been waiting for clarification from the Department of Transport about 30mph limits throughout the county. The department has said the speed limits are legally correct and they can be enforced.

richard.smith@eadt.co.uk