One of a city’s park-and-ride sites should be transformed into an overnight lorry park when the bus service ends for the day, it has been claimed.

HGV drivers with nowhere else to turn regularly pitch up on the Wincheap Industrial Estate in Canterbury.

Former IT technician Derek Maslin, 62, is fed up with the ever-growing number of lorries and believes that as the park-and-ride is only used from 7am until 7.30pm, there is a simple solution to the problem.

Now, the city council is to investigate the feasibility of making the facility available after the issue was raised at the Canterbury Forum on Monday.

Mr Maslin said: “It’s a big bit of Tarmac which is sitting unused so I think the car park should be opened up for lorries overnight.

“I know the lorries have to stop somewhere, and there is a great lack of places for them to go, so this would provide great facilities for the lorry drivers to use and it would get them off the roads.

“Bins could be emptied and the waste transported to the Serco depot 100 yards away.”

The 600-space car park could hold dozens of lorries if the idea ever came to fruition.

Now a self-employed handyman, Mr Maslin says the city council could introduce a fee.

Mr Maslin, who lives in the nearby Martyrs’ Field Road, added: “When I go to Toolstation or Screwfix, I see the problems parked lorries cause with traffic trying to get past.

“It must be an annoyance for businesses and I would guess it has an effect on trade.

“I appreciate there would be extra costs involved in keeping the facilities open 24 hours a day and staff would be required to ensure the lorries left before 7am, but surely this is worth doing for the health and well-being of all.

“With the imminent impact of Brexit, I can only see this problem getting bigger.

“In the longer term, it seems logical to me to incorporate lorry parking facilities on the bigger park and ride site when the new A2 slip road is built.”

Cllr Eden-Green supported the idea at the Canterbury Forum meeting, saying there was currently a serious problem with litter being discarded by drivers.

“Some of it is utterly disgusting,” he said. “The park and ride is a dead piece of Tarmac at night and at least there are waste bins and toilet facilities.

“I don’t think we need to get involved in charges because it could be cheaper to make it free.”

Officers will report back on the feasibility of the idea at a future meeting.