A MOTHER of two from Lach Dennis feels she and her daughter are lucky to be alive after an accident caused a tanker to plough into her front garden.

Jacqueline Kirkwood was at home in Birches Lane on Thursday morning with her 16-month-old daughter Holly.

One minute she was standing at her window chatting on the phone, but in a split second she saw a huge articulated lorry lose control on a bend and head straight for her house.

Another tanker coming from the opposite direction hit it, halting its course, but in turn it veered into her garden and demolished her wall before stopping just a few feet from the house.

Both drivers were very shocked but unhurt and police have now launched an accident investigation.

Mrs Kirkwood, who is five and a half months pregnant, said: "I have never experienced anything like it before, I'm still shaking. The worst thing is if it wasn't for the wet weather Holly would have been out playing and she would not have stood a chance.

"It is definitely the closest shave I have ever had and if it had hit the house it would have been demolished and we would have been killed for certain."

Just a fortnight ago Mrs Kirkwood wrote to the county council pleading for safety measures after her son Matthew, 12, was almost hit by a van swerving to avoid a lorry.

She says lorries are using Birches Lane as a shortcut to Middlewich from the A556 by-pass, but they are going far too quickly and are unaware of the dangerous bend and nearby T junction.

County Councillor Scott Marsh said the highways department has assured him it would be sending someone to survey the damage within three working days.

He added: "It is an absolute disgrace and it is about time the traffic situation in and around the villages was dealt with."