We are in danger using our front door - homeowner

Andrew Bode wants bollards or a fence outside his corner terrace to stop vehicles mounting the pavement

A homeowner says his family are in danger when they step out of their front door as vehicles are repeatedly mounting the pavement.

Andrew Bode and his family live on a cul-de-sac in Leek which he said was the only access route to a factory at the end.

His home was badly damaged when hit by a lorry trailer and he said there had also been a series of near misses, with lorries being inches away from his family on the pavement.

Staffordshire County Council said it was considering solutions, although some were not practical.

Mr Bode has asked for double yellow lines to be painted at the junction and wants bollards or a fence installed outside his corner terrace.

When his home was hit by a lorry trailer in December 2023, it had "torn down about 150 bricks of the outside wall, irreparably damaged the window and warped the front door".

He said if the lorry had not stopped, "it could have brought the house down on top of me, and my son in the room above".

Mr Bode says his home was badly damaged after being struck by the trailer of an articulated lorry in December 2023

Mr Bode has lived in the Ball Haye Green property for 17 years and said the number of lorries turning into the street to get to the factory had increased significantly in the past few years.

He believes that is down to an upturn in trade for the business.

The homeowner said he had reported 15 incidents of vehicles mounting the pavement to the police.

He believes the long-term solution is for the factory to have an alternative access road, which the firm proposed more than two decades ago, but was rejected.

The only thing Staffordshire County Council was willing to do to alleviate the issue was paint double yellow lines to stop cars parking near the junction, said Mr Bode.

"It is very concerning for us, all the danger we are in day-by-day, simply using our front door to get in or out of the house on to or off the pavement, which should be a safe place."

In a statement, the local authority said its officers had been liaising with residents, and a number of solutions have been considered.

"One proposal is to remove parked cars from the road junction to assist the drivers of larger vehicles to safely negotiate the narrow road layout," it said.

"Other suggested measures have also been given full consideration but many may not be practical due to the built-up nature of the area and the access businesses require.

"However, we remain happy to work with other organisations to help facilitate any meaningful solutions."