FATHER Christmas is helping Painswick’s parish councillors in their efforts to get drivers on the main road through the village to slow down.

Concern for keeping the A46 Cheltenham Road safe comes after an incident last month of a crash involving a car and lorry on the northern approach to the village - close to the start of the 20mph zone and the bus stop at the bottom of Pullens Road.

Police had to deploy a helicopter to locate the driver of the Aston Martin, which flipped after the crash on Monday, November 12, because he had left the scene following the incident.

He was later found at an address with no serious injuries.

Though the driver may not have been speeding, councillors nevertheless referenced the incident as one of many raising concern over the road at a following parish meeting.

Cllr Abigail Smith, who sits on Painswick Parish Council's traffic group, later told the SNJ: “As a parish council we recognise that speeding vehicles is one of our community’s key concerns.

“As such, we endeavour to try various methods to make drivers aware of our mandatory speed limits, especially the 20mph and 30mph zones.

“Over the last few years this has included establishment of a regular Community Speed Watch group, installation of permanent Vehicle Activated Signs (including data collection) and agreement of a police speed enforcement location.”