A HOUSEHOLDER has told of the dramatic moment a van ploughed into his home.

The white van ended up embedded in the thatched cottage in Collingbourne Kingston near Tidworth on the A388 on Tuesday (April 23).

At the time Alan De Boo was in the kitchen at the back of the house making lunch.

The 73-year-old said: “I heard a terrific bang from the front of the house.

“I’d just heard about the terrible bombing in Sri Lanka and my mind went to a bomb going off.

“I went to the front and there was a van up against the house and the bay was severely damaged. The van was in the house by a foot. It had smashed through a 1m wall and pushed through a window frame.”

The retired human resources worker said he went outside to check the driver.

“I went out and to my amazement there were police officers already there. They had been passing through and they were looking after the driver. I went back in to call my daughter to help and the fire service.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Wiltshire& Dorset Fire Service. They’ve put in some beams and props to make sure it didn’t collapse before a vehicle recovery man came and took the van out. A structural engineer came from the council and said it was safe. Fortunately my wife Muriel and my room is at the other end of the house.”

Mr De Boo said he was concerned about the amount of traffic using the road and speeding.

“This is a village street never intended to carry 44-tonne lorries. In 100 years, the only change is white lines and signs. There’s been a neglect of providing alternative roads for a busy route. There was talk of a bypass but that’s all faded away. And it’s true there is a lot of speeding.”

The driver was taken away by ambulance from the crash.

It is the latest in a series of accidents on what’s been branded a ‘dangerous’ road.

Wiltshire councillor Ian Blair-Pilling who represents the village and is a member of the area’s Community Area Transport Group said planned road safety improvements should be in place this summer.

Paul Cordwell, who lives Marlborough Road, said: “The A338 is a particularly dangerous road along its whole length, but even more so through the villages of Collingbourne Kingston and Collingbourne Ducis, where the road narrows into chicane like race tracks.”

He said there had been several crashes and near misses with increased traffic coming from the developments at Tidworth.

Cllr Blair-Pilling said that the improvements would include traffic calming at the roundabout north of the village to slow traffic entering Marlborough Road. The centre of the roundabout would be moved so traffic can’t drive straight across it and there would be better signage in the approaches.

He said there would be white gate entrances to the village at either end of Marlborough.

Mr Cordwell said in the past two years there had been two incidents of cars ending up on their roofs while there had also been a motorcycle accident.