FOR many people, forking out £1,000 for a crash barrier outside your home would be deemed an unnecessary expense.

But for Phillip Carter, who lives in a 122-year-old wooden bungalow next to an accident blackspot near Meopham, it is money well spent.

The metal barrier saved his home of 36 years from being demolished by a car on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Carter, 69, told News Shopper: “I was in the study and heard a big bang what sounded like a big metal on metal noise. I opened the front door and saw a big 4x4 staring at me, three inches away.

“It’s a bit scary to think what could have happened - it could have been fatal.

“If it had been an hour-and-a-half later when all the school children were coming out it could have been different.”

It is believed the silver Honda 4x4 collided with another car pulling out of a junction before spinning, mounting the kerb crashing through bollards, front fence, and coming to rest on top of the crash barrier.

Nobody was seriously injured in the collision which happened shortly before 2pm in Wrotham Road, Culverstone Green.

He added: “It’s a gradual bend and seems the worse the weather gets the faster they want to go.

“This time it wasn’t the driver’s fault, I don’t think.” Three years ago the retired driving instructor had the metal barrier installed after a police car on a 999 crashed into his fence in 2006.

Since then, according to Mr Carter, there have been at least one serious crash a year on the infamous 30mph bend.

He added: “I would like to see a speed camera nearby or some sort of road narrowing to slow vehicles down.

“It would be nice to have a council-paid crash barrier - because I’ve had to pay for my own.

“We’re a bit frightened of another car coming through before we get it repaired.”