A SIX-year campaign to cut the 60mph speed limit on sections of the accident-prone A257 between Canterbury and Wingham looks to have finally succeeded.

Kent County Council is expected to reduce the limit to 50mph by the end of the year following huge pressure for action from the three parish councils of Wingham, Littlebourne and Ickham and local residents.

The reduction cannot come soon enough for the landlord of the Haywain pub at Bramling, where another incident last week resulted in a car careering into the pub sign on his forecourt.

Although in this latest accident the vehicle was the victim of poor parking on the bend by a foreign lorry, publican Kevin Costello says it is a tragedy waiting to happen.

The Haywain is on a tight bend where there are several junctions and Mr Costello says the existing 60mph limit is madness. He and others have been campaigning for the limit to be cut to 40mph.

He said: "There have been a couple of interactive ‘slow down’ signs but they haven’t really had much effect. My fear was that it would need somebody to be killed on this bend before KCC finally saw sense."

The campaign to cut the speed limit has been led by the city councillor for the area, Brian Staley, who described it as a "big breakthrough".

He added: "A cut to 40mph would have been ideal but I am really pleased we have finally achieved some success."

Kent County Council spokesman John Todd : "We are currently investigating and have begun informal consultation on a 50mph limit on the A257 between Wingham and Canterbury.

“We will need to undertake statutory consultation on the proposal and the Joint Transportation Board will need to consider any representations to this before a change in speed limit can be agreed.

"If agreed, the 50mph speed limit would extend over the lengths that are currently National Speed Limit, and the existing 40 on the approach to Canterbury from Littlebourne, and the existing 30 in Littlebourne would not be affected.”