A driver fleeing the scene of a suspected hit-and-run caught on camera has reignited calls to tackle speeding on a “treacherous” hill.

Residents have urged Kent County Council (KCC) to take urgent action to encourage motorists to slow down on Borstal Hill, one of the key routes into Whitstable town centre.

They have been left wondering if it will take a tragedy before concerns are taken seriously, with one person saying the authority would have “blood on its hands” if a fatality happened.

CCTV footage captured the shocking moment a car - believed to be uninsured - ploughed into a parked vehicle before the driver left the scene.

Nobody was injured in the collision but those living on the steep hill fear it is only a matter of time before someone is killed.

Akbar Kurtha, the owner of the parked vehicle damaged in the latest crash, said: “We were woken up by our neighbours to find a car had come racing down the hill and collided with the back of our Mini which spun it around and into our neighbour's garden.

“Fortunately, it did not hit the house but the driver gathered himself and ran away.

“A couple of witnesses told him to stop.

“The vehicle was unregistered, uninsured and had bolt cutters in the back.”

Police are investigating the crash, which happened in the early hours of Saturday, March 23.

The driver has not yet been found.

Mr Kurtha says it is the third parked car to be hit over the past 18 months near his home.

“Our concerns seem to be falling on deaf ears as KCC does not want to address the issues,” the 53-year-old added.

“We do everything retrospectively in this country and we do not take preventative measures.

“How many cars have to collide with stationary vehicles before they pay attention?

“It seems like until a child or adult gets hit, they will not do anything.

“While fortunately, no injuries were reported in this latest incident, residents are left wondering if it will take a tragedy before KCC takes decisive action.

“Do they want blood on their hands before they take the matter seriously?”

Labour city councillor Chris Cornell says Borstal Hill has “long been a treacherous run”.

“This incident highlights how we need warnings on the brow of the hill and where children walk near Vulcan Close,” the Gorrell ward representative said.

“We have had tragedies on the corner of Joy Lane and Borstall Hill before.

“Someone else should not have to lose their life before action is taken by KCC.”

Whitstable county councillor Mark Dance says a ‘slow down’ speed indicator sign was recently installed - paid for by his member’s grant.

“I questioned some of the sight lines on Borstal Hill last month at the Joint Transportation Board and promoted more double-yellow lines to protect parked cars,” the Conservative said.

“Unfortunately the motion was lost.

“However, how can you stop individuals with no insurance and possibly no licence having not passed their driving test from getting in an unauthorised vehicle?

“The ‘slow down’ sign does not record anything as it is a warning only.

“It cost three years of my member’s grant and I am trying to get another one in Joy Lane.”

Inspector Paul Stoner of Canterbury district’s Community Safety Unit confirmed officers were called after a car had collided with a parked vehicle in Borstal Hill shortly after 12.30am on Saturday, March 23.

“Officers attended and the car’s occupants were not at the scene,” he said.

“A search of the area was carried out, assisted by a police drone operator and dog handler, but the driver was not located. Inquiries are ongoing to locate them. We understand incidents like this may increase concerns around dangerous driving and speeding and that is why we carry out regular speed checks in areas where worries have been raised and have a dedicated road policing unit to tackle driving offences.”

A KCC spokesperson says police will put together a report in the event of serious and fatal road crashes on the details of the incident and will investigate to understand possible causes.

“The report and results of any investigations are then shared with KCC which, upon the advice from Kent Police, will subsequently undertake any work to help prevent a similar type of incident from occurring again,” they said.

“KCC has not yet received a report from the police for this incident.”