11:00am Friday 13th July 2007
By Lucy Clapham
AN uninsured driver destroyed metal railings and left a gaping hole in the fencing after his car ploughed into a Bourne End recreation ground.
The motorist - a man from Wooburn Green - had a lucky escape when his silver BMW 525i left the road in Blind Lane, rolled onto its roof and careered through pedestrian safety railings. It travelled across the pavement and smashed through the wooden fence surrounding the park before coming to a halt in front of a tree.
The car came to a stop just metres from a children's play area, which was empty at the time. He walked away with only a few slight cuts. Neighbouring residents got an early wake up call from the sound of the crash at 6.30am on Sunday morning.
Kaye Townsend, of Blind Lane, said: "I just heard the awful noise as the car hit the railings. It woke me up."
The driver was arrested at the scene, but later released without charge.
He was given a £200 fixed penalty fine at Marlow police station and automatically incurred six penalty points on his driving licence for driving without insurance.
But Wooburn and Bourne End Parish Council is unhappy that its budget and money from Wycombe District Council will have to pay for repairs to the pavement and park boundary.
Police have said they consider the matter to be closed and that the issue of damage is a private matter between the driver and the parish council.
Mike Appleyard, chairman of Wooburn and Bourne End Parish Council, said: "I have asked the clerk to send a letter to the driver to seek costs for the amount the damage will cost to repair. We're just disappointed that the police didn't ask him to reimburse the parish council."
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