THE Mayor of Ferndown says something must be done "immediately" to take juggernauts off the stretch of road where a lorry crashed into a pensioner's home.

Great- grandmother Sheila Bredda narrowly escaped serious injury when a 30-tonne articulated lorry ploughed into her home on the A348 at Longham early on Tuesday morning.

Now, Cllr Lesley Dedman says something has to be done and has organised a public meeting in September to hear local views and report on progress.

She told the Daily Echo: "While we are still working hard to solve the problem, liaising with bordering boroughs, this dreadful accident to Sheila Bredda, and of course the lorry driver, makes it imperative for us to convince everyone from the government downwards that it is no good them procrastinating.

"Something must be done immediately to take juggernauts off this stretch of the Ringwood Road before something worse happens."

Cllr Dedman called the spot where the accident happened "tremendously dangerous and frightening".

She added: "This terrible situation and the demolition of Sheila Bredda's cottage shows the damage juggernauts in this area can cause, both to buildings and, of course, to people."

Cllr Sally Elliot, Longham ward member on East Dorset District Council, said: "It's a worry because it's a trunk road and the volume of traffic is considerable and there's nowhere else for the traffic to go.

"There's not a great deal you can do with the existing A348. The particular place where it happened is subject to accidents.

"The Longham Farm has a wall and it's regularly demolished - it was only rebuilt three weeks ago."

Steve Howard, Dorset County Council traffic management team leader, said: "The police have reported just one personal injury accident to us along this stretch of road over the past three years.

"However, we are aware there have been a number of damage-only collisions as well, which are not usually reported to us."

He said that, after talking to residents, the council had introduced some "small scale" improvements on the road, including new road markings and more signs warning of the dangers.

Mr Howard added that a study into options to improve road links between the A31 and Poole port was being undertaken, in the hope that a solution would relieve traffic on the A348.