LORRY drivers using a rural road found themselves the subject of chanting protestors at a demonstration held to highlight the problem of "rat-running" HGVs.

Nearly 150 banner-waving demonstrators turned up at Monday's protest in Yalding - held to highlight the issue of lorries using the village as a through-route.

Included in the protest were more than a dozen children from Twyford Pre-School, in Yalding, whose parents are afraid to walk them to the nursery because of speeding trucks.

Geraldine Brown, chairman of Yalding Parish Council, which organised the protest, said: "We are now absolutely determined to get a weight limit. We won't stop until we do."

Councillors want a 17-tonne limit on The Lees and the village's Town Bridge, which would prevent HGVs from using the area's B-roads to get to industrial centres like Marden and Tovil, near Maidstone.

Also in attendance was county councillor Paulina Stockell (Con) and John Wilson, chairman of the South West Maidstone Traffic Management Partnership (TRAMP), which supports the Yalding weight restriction for the positive knock-on effect it would have for villages including East Farleigh, West Farleigh, Dean Street, Boughton Monchelsea and Collier Street.

See this Friday's Kent Messenger for full report.