Man takes to street as Deadpool to battle speeding after cat killed

A man has become so frustrated with drivers speeding down his road that he plans to suit up as Deadpool to stop them.

Mark Spaven, 59, says motorists have been speeding down his road in Nottingham for years and his cat, Groot, was struck and killed by a suspected speeding driver two weeks ago.

Now, feeling as though his complaints to Nottinghamshire County Council have fallen on deaf ears, the self-confessed Marvel superfan plans to take to the street as comic book anti-hero Deadpool - but promises not to chop anybody's heads off.

Mr Spaven, who has a hand-made 'slow down please' sign, said: 'I'm going to be going up and down dressed as Deadpool. 

'I'm seriously considering it if nothing's done. I'm not just doing it because I'm upset about the cat, there are kids that walk around here.'

A spin-off from the X-Men film series, Deadpool stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role.  

His character Wade Wilson hunts the man responsible for giving him mutant abilities and a scarred physical appearance, becoming the anti-hero Deadpool.

Mr Spaven, a warehouse leader, said his wife was a 'right mess' after the death of their two-year-old cat by a motorist.

He continued: 'A witness said the driver was speeding. One of the neighbours held him until he died. 

'My wife came in while I was at work, I thought "this is strange", she was a right mess.'

Mr Spaven said drivers come speeding down Cavendish Drive in Carlton to avoid the nearby traffic lights at Carlton Square, and sometimes reach up to 50mph. 

He said he has had three near-misses over the last few years.

Recalling a recent instance Mr Spaven said: 'They must've been doing nearly 40 or 50mph, I was crossing to the Tesco, I look left, right and behind. The car stopped about two feet away from my leg.

'I don't know whether they feel as if they have got to beat the lights or something. Taxis also wait to pick people up from Tesco so you're having to walk in the middle of the road.

'I recently distributed leaflets all around the community and it was surprising how many people who came out the door and said they nearly got hit. It's only a short little drive.'

He is calling for Nottinghamshire County Council to lower the speed limit on the road from 30mph to 20mph, something which Gedling's Labour MP Michael Payne has backed.

Mr Payne said he had written to the council in support of residents, adding: 'I was very sorry to hear of Mark's cat, Groot, being killed by a suspected speeding driver. Speeding and any form of dangerous driving is completely unacceptable.

'I have written to Nottinghamshire County Council in support of the residents who are demanding a 20mph speed limit in the area, and have notified Nottinghamshire Police to investigate and consider further measures to catch these reckless drivers in Carlton.

'Mark's experience shows that speeding is not a victimless act. To those speeding drivers I say: stop putting yourself and others at risk, because you will get caught and be made to face the consequences.'

Nottinghamshire County Council has been contacted for comment.