ASTONISHING footage of a series of crashes and near misses over the course of just ten minutes has been filmed by an angry resident outside her home in the hope that it might finaly persuade the council to reduce the speed limit.

Mum-of-two Celina Brown, 45, of Vicarage Lane in Chigwell, captured the footage (below) in the space of just ten minutes yesterday morning.

She said: "The video is typical of what we see on a regular basis. Only this morning I glanced out of the window and saw a taxi going sideways down the road.

"The problem is that ever since the council chose to increase the speed limit [in Vicarage Lane] from 30mph to 40mph four or five years ago, the number of accidents has become a considerable problem.

"We need the speed limit to go back down to 30mph. It's a small narrow lane and it gets really frightening sometimes. I can't let my children walk to school because it's just too dangerous."

"We keep asking the council to do something but they don't even bother to come and look at it."

Neighbour Andrea MacArthur, 39, said the situation had got so bad that she also feared for the safety of her family.

"On two separate occasions I've had cars come right off the road and crash into my front garden", she said.

"Whenever it's icy now I lie awake at night worrying about crashes. I know it sounds dramatic but it really is that bad.

"I have two young children aged six and four and we're frightened just to walk along our road. The council says the record of accidents is not any different to elsewhere but I think most of the crashes go unreported.

"Most of the accidents happen when it's icy, but drivers only crash in those conditions if they're speeding. If you're a sensible driver you should be able to cope.

"I really hope the video will make an impact and get the council to act."

A spokeswoman for Essex County Council said: “The 40mph speed limit was originally introduced on Vicarage Lane in Chigwell in August 2003.

"Highways officers will be looking at the video which was made by a resident and will investigate the causes to see if speed is a contributory factor in any of the accidents recorded on film.”