Villagers presented a 600-signature petition to Kent County Council today begging for an HGV weight limit in Yalding to be fast-tracked.

Yalding Parish Council has been campaigning for a weight limit in the village for 11 years and has recently stepped up its campaign, holding two protests and creating the petition.

Councillors accept that some lorries have legitimate reason to use the village’s b-roads, but many are simply rat-running to cut journey times on their way to industrial estates in places like Marden.

Huge HGVs regularly cause traffic chaos by getting stuck in the main village and the parish council feels a ban on vehicles over 17 tons on the main Town Bridge and B2162 will sort the problem.

For full story see tomorrow's Kent Messenger