Jason Bunn outside his house with his family Lewis (L to R) Ruby, Harry, Tori and Josh who want motorists to slow down in Tivetshall St Margaret.

Fears over speeding drivers on Norfolk road

Dominic Bareham, senior reporter Wednesday, August 29, 2012
8:06 PM

A Norfolk family fears speeding motorists could kill somebody outside their home because they are being plagued by drivers using the road as a race track.

Jason Bunn, of Thistledown Farm, Tivetshall St Margaret, is appealing for motorists to slow down in Station Road because in the last five years motorists have crashed into his front wall and killed 19 ducks, as well as one of the family’s cats.

Mr Bunn, who lives with his partner Victoria Giles and her four children Lewis, 12, Josh, nine, Harry, eight and Ruby, four, said the situation had become so dangerous for the ducks that the family had made a sign which Lewis takes with him when he helps the ducks to cross the road from an opposite field.

The fluorescent sign starts with the words “Thanks to bad driving” and then continues with the running tally for the number of ducks that have been killed before pleading with drivers to slow down.

However, Mr Bunn, who owns sign manufacturer SignLine, said not all drivers had heeded the advice and were continuing to speed, potentially jeopardising the safety of the family and the four children.

“It is only a matter of time before somebody cops it. The cars that have crashed into the front wall have hit the walll so hard that bricks from the wall have hit the house, which is between five and seven metres away from the wall,” Mr Bunn added.

The flock of ducks, which used to number over 20, has been visiting the farm and surrounding area for the last three years and will often stand quacking by the side of the road to alert the family they need to cross, at which point Lewis would appear with his sign. But now there are only six ducks left.

John Birchall, a spokesman for Norfolk County Council, said the council’s highways team did not consider there to be anything particularly unusual about the road, which did not have a bad accident record.

He added: “We are sorry to hear about the ducks, but in many ways this is a typical stretch of rural B road and we have no record of human casualties in this area over the past three years.

“We did carry out some signing and lining improvements quite recently, and the road is currently scheduled to be resurfaced next year, but none of this will help protect ducks that are crossing between the farm and the fields.” He added speed limits and water fowl warning signs were unlikely to be effective in this circumstance and the best way of ensuring the safety of the ducks would be to prevent them crossing the road, but this would be difficult.

40 comments

You brought it up, sorry but it's been quite a lot of less than helpful comments since first thing this morning, I wanted to say about the Hevingham comment mainly as that came out awful so I came on here to correct it, my partner was looking at the story then the comments too and was upset by what she read, I wasn't expecting pretty low and incorrect comments about our cat, how polluting we are, how much traffic we have in our yard, that I'm doing a story to get sign work, why don't we move etc when all this is about is better safety for my area and my family, so I had my say to put it right, or tirade as you call it. The car in the ditch opposite when there was a casualty is 3 years 2 months ago, so the council man was correct in that there haven't been any casualties in the last 3 years, but there has been in the last 3 years and 2 months, the wall was latter part of last year, the fence last year too, that's fairly 'unusual' and I would hope it wasn't 'typical' either

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Thought this was about traffic issues and not a tirade about every oher issue you have. Can you not put up more signs yourself?

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avrora

Thursday, August 30, 2012
I would say we are concerned, I've had a letter published about population control, then I met Tori who is single parent to 4, now she is 1-3 weeks from giving birth to our twins, so my 'concern' now is for all I am now protector of. Concerned so I wrote a letter in, then a reporter rang up for an interview, and that's it, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not unhappy, I'm angry. I guess avrora having knowledge, albeit inaccurate, of our old farm also knows our main opponent, putting me through 2 years of planning grief to be able carrying on putting stickers on vehicles etc that I had been doing for over a decade, yet they have had a storage unit built which they don't need and rent out the other, have recently changed their house name from that to a farm name, the house name had being what is was since the 19th century, they do not keep livestock or farm any land, have moved a puclic footpath without permission, same for a new drive which the footpath was moved for, and are applying for micro turbines which are paid for by us through an investment fund to give them cheaper electricity, I could hear their external phone ringer over any noise created here as in very little, couple of things spring to mind, pot calling kettle, and people in glass houses. Out of all the scaremoingering they did, which sounds like it has affected your opinion too, all the things they said would happen if my planning was granted, have not ever happened. A local girl marries a Londoner, they oppose everything that anyone else around them wants to do or does, but think they can do whatever they like. Anyone is welcome to come here, see what we do, and judge for yourselves.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
How long have they lived there? If I was that frightened and unhappy, then I would move!

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nnaw

Thursday, August 30, 2012
How long have they lived there? If I was that frightened and unhappy, then I would move!

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nnaw

Thursday, August 30, 2012
What I suggested would apply to something like 90% of roads, most are unfit for purpose, ie on a lot of raods one vehicle has to pull over to let another past, or has to stop on a corner like here to let the farm vehicle or HGV coming the ohter way get round before they can carry on, that's a bit of a joke for a developed country. More dangerous, more polluting, harms the economy, I've often spent 2 hours getting somewhere I should of been able to get to in 30 mins. If we really want to make roads safer, we need to make them, you can't make all current roads safe, if indeed safety is a concern, which looking at a lack improvements, it isn't. I meant if there are speed signs then it should slow people down but if they don't they could then be stopped by the Police, as it is they can whizz round as fast as they like being within the law although they could still be spoken to for careless or dangerous driving as we see far too often. I would like to think policing would be done by the Police, I thought that was what they are there for, they should be doing some checks soon, and the sooner the better.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
You answered your own question! Who would Police this? Don't think a boy racer would think "there a 30mph sign - must slow down". Probably due to the design of the road "let's see how fast we can go". Don't think you will be able to get a traffic ban - could apply to rather a lot of roads nearby

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avrora

Thursday, August 30, 2012
At least if there was a 30mph or slower limit, then people speeding round the corners at 40-50mph could be policed. I think the best answer is, stop using roads made for horses and carts, leave them fo access to the houses that are on them, and build straighter safer roads with plenty of dead space to the sides, no ditches, rivers, streams or tree's to crash into, no verges, hedges or long grass for humans, vehicles and animals to appear out of, which of course is a pipe dream, only 10% of taxes generated from road use are actually spent on improving roads, safer roads don't come from slowing people down, they come from being designed properly in the first place or on new roads. Some Police prescence everywhere wouldn't hurt, there isn't much and so we all see people driving yapping on the phone, reading documents, or both, speeding too of course.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Do you think putting up signs will help?. Most road signs are ignored anyway and probably less in a rural environment.

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avrora

Thursday, August 30, 2012
We loved our cat Tanny Mack thanks Daisy, we lost our dog to cancer xmas eve 2009 and Tanny was his best friend, to lose her just over a couple of years later was awful again, she was part of my family. Where are my photo's mods? Posted last night to show what I mean, and show that all accidents here have had nothing to do with us having the audascity to run businesses from our own flipping property! How dare we!?!?!

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Avrora this was a repossessed pig farm, then it turned into a thriving rural business generating jobs and wealth as farming once did, thanks to small minds half of the main business has been moved, the other half to follow shortly, and then we will be thinking about putting pigs back on just to keep the small minded happy, the neighbours won't be though as they all support what we do here, my business is the smallest concern on this site, we have 10 cars arrive at 7am, 6 vans leave, then the reverse between 3pm - 5pm, I have about 0-4 vehicles come to SignLine each day, we could all grab a pitch fork, straw hat and a cape if you prefer for us to remain poor in the countryside! The people that have given us the most grief are the furthest neighbours from us, we don't call them neighbours though because of the distance. Consider noise, pollution, traffic from a pig farm operating 7 days a week, you might want that but the true neighbours don't. Long term residents all think what we have done is a vast improvement to the property and the area.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Speeding is one thing, add in a sharp corner, 2 driveways into houses, a junction all within 50m, if that, on a stretch of road, screeching tyres and people driving on the edge, and it soon is a lot more of a concern than just speeding, it's careless carefree driving too that is a problem. I don't agree with keep slowing people down just because the roads are unsuitable for modern traffic, but in the meantime I would like to see some speed signs put up, while we wait years for that it wouldn't hurt to put up some S bend warning signs, some blackwhite reflective chevron signs and at least highlight the corners better.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
We can't use these roads on these routes for the traffic that uses them forever, the horse and cart route days should of gone a long time ago now. They are right that duck warning signs wouldn't help as Lewis came into work and made 2 to put up either way as you come to where they crossed, he's 12 but he can design a sign, print it to film, make them up and fix them to posts, puts my last apprentice to shame!

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
The council say there haven't been any deaths and granted there hasn't been, there would of been if we had been leaving for a bike ride, or leaving in the car, or the children playing in the front garden as they often do when the wall was last crashed into, road safety is always retrospective, the Pulham Crossroads was replaced with a roundabout and that was after a dozen or so people had been killed there, they spent £1.5 million on it so that puts a value on human life, about £100k or so, and even now it's not that safe as it's too small what they put in to improve it.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
In all over a few weeks there were 19 ducklings run over and 2 mothers just on this short stretch and when it only took 10-15 seconds for them to cross it too, we wanted to stop them crossing rest assured, but that's what they wanted to do, we should accommodate it or at least try and help.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
We have done all that with help and advice from Bev at the Seal and Bird Rescue Trust who has been great and very supportive, we are rearing them to when they can fly off of their own accord, or if that want to stay they can, we do not handle them and the main goal is they fly off and live a long normal life as their parents were trying to do.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
He puts them out in the morning, feeds them, cleans out their brooder, cleans out their bath and puts them away at night, we're proud of all he did to try and prevent the deaths, and proud of how he has been caring for the orphans that have been left.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Crikey there are some small minds out there, speaking tripe, come visit us at any time to see the truth! 'poor' 'irresponsible' we are victims here thank you!

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Poor to talk about the road when the levels of traffic in and out of Thistledown in recent years have been unacceptable. Noise and air pollution spring to mind

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avrora

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Less traffic than when it was a farm, half the roofing business has been moved thanks to small minded people, most support what we do here, no pollution thank you either, and all accidents have had nothing to do with vehicles visiting here, we have about 2 vehicles per day come here, and about 10 cars of workers at the roofing company, please get your facts straight. We have threatened to turn it back into a pig farm, traffic 7 days a week, working 7 days a week, stench and millions of flies, we generate jobs that doesn't, take your pick, we either have rural wealth or we get our pitch forks and capes out and generate nothing.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Poor to talk about the road when the levels of traffic in and out of Thistledown in recent years have been unacceptable. Noise and air pollution spring to mind

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avrora

Thursday, August 30, 2012
The ducks were all wild mallards that migrate here every year, some we knew by sight, and sound!, and those killed were all mums and their first broods. Lewis has been looking after 3 orphaned ducklings from a family run over about 6 weeks ago, and now our favourite has been run over too, and all bar 3 of her ducklings, he now has those he is looking after too.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
The ducks were all wild mallards that migrate here every year, some we knew by sight, and sound!, and those killed were all mums and their first broods. Lewis has been looking after 3 orphaned ducklings from a family run over about 6 weeks ago, and now our favourite has been run over too, and all bar 3 of her ducklings, he now has those he is looking after too.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Lewis escorting the ducks and ducklings with his hi vis jacket and sign he made being ignored and him being gestured at by people in a rush while all he was doing was protecting them and doing a good thing, he didn't deserve to be treated like that, and seeing them after being run over the times we weren't there, has been upsetting for Lewis and the rest of us.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Useless, more to come but it isn't posting it up and no doubt some is now up twice.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Lewis escorting the ducks and ducklings with his hi vis jacket and sign he made being ignored and him being gestured at by people in a rush while all he was doing was protecting them and doing a good thing, he didn't deserve to be treated like that, and seeing them after being run over the times we weren't there, has been upsetting for Lewis and the rest of us. The ducks were all wild mallards that migrate here every year, some we knew by sight, and sound!, and those killed were all mums and their first broods.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Lewis escorting the ducks and ducklings with his hi vis jacket and sign he made being ignored and him being gestured at by people in a rush while all he was doing was protecting them and doing a good thing, he didn't deserve to be treated like that, and seeing them after being run over the times we weren't there, has been upsetting for Lewis and the rest of us. The ducks were all wild mallards that migrate here every year, some we knew by sight, and sound!, and those killed were all mums and their first broods. Lewis has been looking after 3 orphaned ducklings from a family run over about 6 weeks ago, and now our favourite has been run over too, and all bar 3 of her ducklings, he now has those he is looking after too.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
It has the bends, the straights, the cambers so I can see how it encourages people to think it's like a race track but it has the national speed limit and with the proximity of homes to the road and it's danger with the s bends it should have a speed limit here. It's how fast people go round the bends with wheels screeching that catch animals out, our cat was run over in the early hours, if she wanted to go out she did, and if she wanted to stay in she did. HGV's are up and down all day and all night, and they can't even get round the bends without going into the opposing lane, a lot of people commute across to Attleborough, Wymondham, the A11 using this road.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
I did mention Hevingham as that was where the group of bikers I spoke with recently who had stopped on the corner were from, and as I have roots there being a Bunn we had a chat and they said they come here often just as it's a good road for letting rip on their motorbikes, so it was a remark that turned into being written as I think boy racers are coming here from there to speed past our house, reads awful, I cringed. People come from all over to ride or drive it, some are slow and safe on the big tourers through to the tractor runs, all fine, guys on street bikes are worse, work vans racing each other too, and of course the usual boy racers.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Over the years drivers have crashed through our fence 3 times, they have smashed through our 12" thick wall twice, they have hit the kerb out front and ended up in the ditch opposite requiring to be cut out of the car, the car in the ditch, one of the occassions the wall has been knocked down, our cat, all the ducks and ducklings, all happened within the last 12 months.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
I wish they had put my post up, some of you are upsetting my partner and I. IRS signed a 10 year deal with NCC for all road signs last year, how, no idea, but you can at least knock your comments about that on the head, I will now go and post my long post in sections to knock a lot more of these less than helpful comments on the head.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Today's hot story "sign maker in campaign for more road signs". The EDP goes from strength to strength.

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john smith

Thursday, August 30, 2012
If motorcyclists are making a special trip to ride on one stretch of road and doing it repeatedly then the police should be interested -surely that could be construed as an activity other than legitimate travel from point A to B? I do sympathise, speed limits do appear pretty random and with the growing population the traffic density increases and so many people seem incapable of driving on country roads which although straight may be uneven and twisting. I used the Watton-Norwich Road recently and wondered how it would cope with the additional traffic from development at Watton and Carbrooke without significant improvements- or more likely the cheaper option of significant speed restrictions.

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Daisy Roots

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Those who visit us from outside Norfolk usually comment that they are amazed at the number of speed restriction sign compared to anywhere else. Speed limits that constantly change along A & B roads, let alone other roads, may add little to road safety but say much about the subjective view of those in charge of putting up signs.

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andy

Thursday, August 30, 2012
I did a large post last night explaining but not up on here yet. I would go out with Lewis, it's a B road not the M25, people walk, jog, cycle and ride horses, Hevingham I explained, one comment about a group of motorcyclists from there I spoke to who ride here to ride on this road, that was it, it's the fence 3 times, the brick wall twice, lady cut of car in ditch opposite after bouncing off wall, hopefully main post be up in a while when mods have been through it, and it was 19 ducklings less than 2 weeks old, and 2 mothers.

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Jason Bunn

Thursday, August 30, 2012
19 ducks - well something simply has to be done!

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KeithS

Thursday, August 30, 2012
If the road is as dangerous as claimed, then surely it is DANGEROUS and IRRESPONSIBLE to allow your kids out onto the road..

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Lord Elf

Thursday, August 30, 2012
I don't advocate speeding but peole have to get about and there are some strange restrictions on perfectly good rural roads these days.If motorists are exceeding 60mph on the road or racing then it needs a police camera van now and then. If not, they are using the road legally and complaints about speed are subjective. If the ducks are domesticated and allowed on the road then they are an accident risk. And only a hard heart keeps a cat near a busy road.

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Daisy Roots

Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Hevingham?

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Dennis Kemp

Wednesday, August 29, 2012
So, John Birchall, a spokesman for Norfolk County Council said we have no record of human casualties in this area over the past three years. Does it take a human casusalty death to make them realise they need to do something about speeding motorists. If Lewis withhis sign is guiding the ducks acros the road and a car comes hurtling around the bend....?????

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Christopher Neave

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Fears over speeding drivers on Norfolk road

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