Residents in Sandwich are outraged after a lorry became stuck in Strand Street for 15 hours.

The 38-ton lorry massively exceeded the 7.5-ton weight restriction on the bridge, and then became stuck.

The incident has been described by residents as “lorry lunacy” and they say it is the last straw. They want Kent County Council and the police to take action.

Ian Whitehouse, 53, of Strand Street, said: “It didn’t move from outside my house for four hours. Highways has no sympathy for residents.”

According to Mr Whitehouse, the lorry, from Polish company Stagra, was delivering broken cars to Copart in Ramsgate Road at about 7pm on Thursday.

He said eight police officers were on the scene and tried to move the vehicle.

After four hours of blocking the road, it was reversed back and stayed overnight on double yellow lines outside St Mary’s church. On Friday morning, a translator for the driver and a representative from KCC Highways attended.

Mr Whitehouse said: “He wasn’t prepared for it to reverse and go back over the weak bridge. We suggested they unload it but they wouldn’t.

“Highways are more concerned about their roads than the residents. KCC led it past the houses, mounting the pavement and almost hitting the doors of each house.”

KCC Highways said it was too much of a risk to take the lorry back over the bridge.

It is alleged it damaged restaurant Chutney Massala in Harnet Street before it became stuck.

Howard Norton, of Sandwich Town Team, said: “No other medieval town would permit such chaos on its narrow streets. And it could be so easily resolved if Kent County Council, pushed hard by Sandwich Town Council, had the will.

“We need a ban on lorries over 7.5 tons throughout the town centre, other than for restricted deliveries. We need signs and physical obstacles or road narrowing to enforce it. The councils have done nothing meaningful about traffic for years despite numerous complaints from residents.

“They seem content to leave it to volunteers to kick-start a sensible traffic strategy.”

Deputy Mayor, Cllr Pip Russell defended this, saying councillors were not being idle on the matter.

“We are working hard to convince KCC and the police that they must take the matter of prohibition of heavy lorries from the town extremely seriously before more damage to property and to personal safety occurs.”

She has called on Kent county councillor Leyland Ridings for help.

Police confirmed officers assisted with the temporary closure of the road and took all steps to prevent any damage to buildings and properties.

A spokesman said: “It was removed and the obstruction cleared to allow traffic onto the road again by 11.40pm.

“The driver was issued with a graduated Fixed Penalty Notice for failing to adhere to warning signs.”

Councillors have assured the issue will be put on the next town council agenda.

Toby Howe, East Kent Highways Manager at Kent County Council, said: “We worked with Kent Police to successfully guide the lorry driver back on to the town’s HGV route, without any buildings being struck. The vehicle was an articulated lorry, carrying a 38-tonne load that even if it were unladen, would have been too heavy to return over a 7.5 tonne-limit culvert bridge it crossed before we were alerted.

“We consulted structural engineers and it is quite clear that we could not risk the lorry passing over this bridge again.

“We walked the driver through the proposed route so that he could assess it, and then, while Kent Police provided an escort, we oversaw him, making sure there was clear daylight between the lorry and the buildings.”