Kitchen wrecked as Rutland woman's home hit for 10th time

Ellen Keightley's kitchen was "demolished" after a drunk driver with no insurance hit her Caldecott home at speed

A woman whose home has been crashed into 10 times has demanded action is taken to slow down drivers.

Ellen Keightley, 80, has lived near a sharp bend on Uppingham Road in Caldecott, Rutland, for more than 60 years.

Most of the collisions have only damaged her garden wall but, in the latest crash, her kitchen was "demolished" by a drunk driver.

Rutland County Council said it will make improvements to the road.

'Mighty explosion'

Mrs Keightley said her property had been repeatedly hit by drivers over the six decades and CCTV footage also showed several "near misses".

The most recent crash, in August, saw a drunk driver with no licence and no insurance career into her kitchen at the back of the property.

"There was this mighty explosion - we thought the gas had been blown up," she said.

"He demolished the kitchen. It's awful."

Ellen Keightley has warned the next crash could be fatal

Ion Frunze, from Corby, was prosecuted in January at Leicester Magistrates' Court for drink driving, driving without due care and attention, driving without a licence and having no insurance.

The 28-year-old was given a community order for 12 months, disqualified from driving for 16 months, told to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, and he was told to pay £1,200 compensation.

Mrs Keightley was forced to move into a caravan nearby while £40,000 worth of repair work was completed.

Margaret Bennett, from Caldecott Parish Council, supported Mrs Keightley's call for speed deterrents.

"What's happened to Ellen over the last number of years has been desperate for her," she said.

"We really want to see something happen in the village."

Her home had already been hit nine times before the kitchen crash

The road between Uppingham and Corby is classed as a strategic route, which means speed calming measures like speed bumps or zebra crossings cannot be used.

Rutland County Council said it had recently approved a new safety scheme for the village, to take place in the summer, which will involve a 40mph "buffer zone", an anti-skid road surface, road studs, markings, and improved signage.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].