A SOUTH Woodford man is fuming at the number of driving instructors taking their pupils around his estate after his car was written off.

Father-of-four Tony Evans, of Cheney Avenue, had his Volkswagen Polo written off by a learner driver on the Firs Estate, which is well-known as a practice ground for learners because of its wide, quiet roads.

“I was upstairs in the bedroom putting a few things away and I suddenly heard this crunch,” he said. “All of a sudden, it just went straight into the car and carried on for about 10 seconds before the instructor managed to stop the car.

“Apparently, the girl had pushed the accelerator instead of the break.”

He added that the car, which his 18-year-old daughter was herself learning to drive in, was out of action for three months while it was being repaired.

“It was written off, but my daughter wanted to keep the car, so we had it repaired,” he said. “All the trouble they’ve caused us is unbelievable.”

Mr Evans said that the number of drivers seemed to have increased recently.

“People have to learn, but I don’t see why they have to do it outside my house,” he said. “I have lived here since about 1999. They have been coming here all that time, but the numbers are higher now.

“I have seen at least three accidents, including this one, and on the other occasions, the driving instructors have just driven off.”

Eddie Blackwell, of Broadwalk, who has lead a campaign to get the learners banned from the estate, including gathering views from around 1,000 residents and petitioning Parliament, said that he now plans to take the case to the courts, and is talking to a barrister to prepare a case.

“We did a survey on a Saturday and counted more than 400 drivers,” he said. “A lot of residents have really had enough now.”