[Carruthers]

A Somerset resident is calling on the council to make a road sign warning lorry drivers of the width restriction of a lane near her Grade II-listed home to be more prominient - after another lorry got stuck.

Caroline Cockman from Coxley in Wells, estimates that so far caused £30,000 damage to her side and garden walls, and to her neighbour's walls on the other Mill Lane.

Worryingly this is the third time this has happened in a week at the lane which narrows to 6ft at its smallest point.

On this occasion, the truck was so wedged in the driver had to get in and out of his vehicle via window during the four hours he was stuck and the extra two it took a heavy-duty breaker lorry to pull him free.

The lane is so tiny that the rescuer had to reverse in as much as possible, involving the cutting of trees to make way, before being hooked up to the stricken vehicle with a few lengths of chain.

Mrs Cockman has lived in Mill Lane 23 years and she said the stuck truck phenonemon began with the advent of sat nav devices.

She said; "This is the third time in the last week. Last Monday we had a big sewage tanker, with an escort to make sure it travelled safely, and it took him half-an-hour to reverse out.

"Then on Wednesday night someone collided with our low wall which stops vehicles coming off the lane and into our courtyard. Now this guy was trapped for six hours. If only truck drivers used their common sense as the lane got narrower and narrower. You would think they ought to know better.

"We've had Somerset highways department out twice and they have made the right noises about signs but nothing happens. The sign on the main road clearly says how narrow Mill Lane is, but there's nothing at the other end. And the sat navs take them down it as the shortest route."

On this occasion the situation has been fixed, but Mrs Cockman said in the past the damage toll to her property has come to more than £30,000, with one motorist fleeing before being tracked down and forced to pay via insurance.

Nobody would attempt to drive somewhere on the basis of a line on a map*, so why do they do it when the Sat Nav says so?

*Or would they?



Western Daily Press