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Frustration as lorries get stuck down lane again

Jake Wallace
BBC News, South West
BBC Mark Nicholls wearing a grey T-shirt stood in front of a hedge. In the hedge is one of his signs which reads: "Do not follow sat-nav this route is unsuitable you will get stuck."BBC
Mark Nicholls said drivers ignored his signs and followed their sat-nav down the narrow lane

Lorry drivers have been urged to "use common sense" and stop using a narrow Cornish lane after another vehicle got stuck there.

Mark Nicholls installed signs earlier this year after becoming fed up of lorries using satellite navigation driving down Coosebean Lane, Truro, and causing damage to trees and a stone wall when the vehicles become stuck.

However, Mr Nicholls - who lives on the road - said drivers had ignored the signs and kept using the lane, including a 18-tonne lorry that got stuck on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said it had been reviewing the existing signage and would shortly install new signs to "reinforce the message".

The spokesperson said: "Cormac crews were called to remove damaged branches from a tree following this latest incident.

"As always, we encourage all drivers, especially those of large vehicles, to plan their routes rather than rely on sat-nav devices."

Mr Nicholls said local residents were "upset" and "frustrated" by the damage from the lorries and urged sat-nav using drivers to pay attention to the signs.

A front view of a lorry stuck on a narrow lane. A man wearing shorts and a black hoodie and baseball cap is stood in front of the lorry.
A lorry was stuck on the lane on Tuesday

Mr Nicholls said the area was like a "quiet oasis" which was being blighted by lorries.

"People use their sat-navs, and the greatest respect to people, but they don't use common sense," he said.

"When it gets really narrow they don't stop and think about it, they just plough on."

He added: "There's a fairy trail and a lot of people walk on these quiet lanes and it's quite dangerous for the big lorries to come down."

A stone wall lining a road. Large parts of the centre of the wall have been damaged and are falling in to the road.
Mr Nicholls said he was claiming the expenses to repair the wall through his insurance

On Tuesday, Nicholls said people were out from 18:00 BST to 21:00 trying to get the lorry out and a wall was damaged by the vehicle.

The stonemason by trade said he was happy to repair the wall but he would not be able to do it forever.

"In a few year's time, when I'm worn out and retired, I won't be able to do it," he said.

"A lot of people are upset because of the damage to the trees and the wall because it's unique, its a herringbone wall, you don't see this very often.

"I think its just such a lovely, quiet little oasis, as soon as there's damage happening all the time, is very frustrating."

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