Illegally parked HGVs clamped overnight in new Kent scheme

Lorry drivers have previously been issued with fines for the first two offences

Almost 30 lorries have been clamped overnight as a Kent council begins to target HGV drivers parking in non-designated areas.

Ashford Borough Council had previously fined drivers for the first two offences but is now clamping illegally parked HGVs at the first offence.

The ban runs between 20:00 and 07:00 on weekdays and all weekend.

A stretch of the A20 and four industrial estates are covered by the new clamping scheme.

Eleven lorries were clamped on the A20 overnight.

Five HGVs were clamped at the Sevington industrial estate, 11 at the Orbital Park, also in Sevington, and two at the Ellingham industrial estate.

Lorry drivers are being charged £250 to have the clamps removed.

'No excuse'

Councillor Matthew Balfour from Kent County Council said: "It's a start and we need to take this further forward to make sure lorries don't disturb the residents of Kent.

"In an ideal world I would like all the lorries to be parked up in secure sites."

He said lorry drivers had been given leaflets in different languages "for many months now" on the A20, and at the Port of Dover and Channel Tunnel terminal in Folkestone.

"I don't think there's any excuse for the lorry drivers not knowing what's going to happen," he said.

The Freight Transport Association has previously said there is a shortage of overnight parking for lorries and existing sites were full "almost every night".

The association has called for a network of lorry parks to be built across Kent.