A clampdown on lorries flouting road laws by parking on hard shoulders and slip roads has led to 30 fines being handed out to drivers overnight on the A2.

In the latest sweep of the county’s road network, officers from Kent’s roads policing unit, together with Highways England, proactively patrolled the busy carriageway over Wednesday night and Thursday morning for illegally-parked vehicles.

Dozens of HGVs regularly park bumper-to-bumper overnight on both slip roads leading onto and from the Londonbound and coastbound carriageways at Gravesend East (Cobham services).

At this location a total of 30 graduated fixed penalty notices were issued for illegal parking on the carriageway.

Five vehicles which failed to pay were moved to a secure location and clamped until payment was made.

Graduated fixed penalty notices allow officers to issue accumulative fines measured against the number of offences and their severity.

A further 28 were handed out in the same period to drivers on the M20 and the Courtwood by-pass in Capel-le-Ferne near Folkestone.

Supt Ian Hall from Kent Police said: "We are operating a zero-tolerance approach to unsafe illegal parking on the hard shoulder and slip roads along our carriageways.

"The hard shoulders are there for those vehicles that break down and are in need of assistance, and for the use of the emergency services.

"Parking on the hard shoulder and slip roads for a rest is simply not acceptable – it is unlawful and unsafe and the police and Highways England are patrolling our road network and will deal with those who flout the law accordingly.

"This is one element of a multi-agency approach to dealing with the boarder issue of unsafe, illegal and antisocial parking of HGVs across the county."

The Messenger reported in November that many HGVs appeared to be ignoring the designated lorry park at the Gravesend East junction, although staff at Nell's Cafe opposite said drivers had complained that problems were being caused by cars and caravans taking up the spaces.

On one evening alone a staggering 45 lorries were parked along the coastbound slip road leading from Nell's Cafe, reaching almost as far as the Inn on the Lake hotel.