CONCERNS were raised today over the number of truck drivers parking in Ipswich's laybys overnight.

CONCERNS were raised today over the number of truck drivers parking in Ipswich's laybys overnight.

The truckers have been spotted parking their vehicles in laybys along Wherstead Road and The Strand as a rest stop for the night however some believe that this is causing an obstruction and is damaging kerbs and road surfaces.

One Ipswich truck driver today claimed the situation had come about because some truck drivers do not want to pay the annual fee to park in the Orwell Crossing Lorry Park.

Gary, 41, said: “I have seen them parked in the laybys between Wherstead Road and The Strand and that is an area of beauty. There is lots of birds and wildlife around there and these trucks go right up on the kerb, on to the verge. These are not small lorries - you are talking ten tonnes. It is doing a lot of damage to the laybys.

“They stay there overnight, which I think is a bit unfair especially when there is a lorry park three-and-a-half miles away with good facilities.

“I pay £1,300 to park my truck at the lorry park and it is there nearly every night and most weekends. I think there should be a restriction put in place so they can't stay in the lay-bys for that long.”

David Baldry, chairman of Wherstead Parish Council, said: “In the past there have been a lot of problems with this as many truck drivers were parking in the laybys.

“The laybys are not designed for those vehicles. They are too big. We would back anything that encourages them to park where they should park.”

A Suffolk County Council spokesman said the council was working on finding a solution to the situation on The Strand.

She said: “They're mainly foreign HGVs that have been parking there. Apparently they have been using the area for every use possible.

“There's issues of littering and hygiene. The police have been informed.

“We are currently looking at the extent of the damage caused and possibility of moving the HGVs to other facilities such as lorry parks.”

Are you a truck driver that has a view on this issue? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk