Village hails community hero

A VILLAGE which has been blighted by law-breaking lorries is hailing its community hero today.

Sproughton Parish Council has been fighting for nearly a decade in an attempt to stop heavy vehicles using their country roads.

Both High Street and Lower Street in Sproughton are protected from heavy lorries by a weight-restriction order and Peter Westcott, trading standards officer with Suffolk County Council, has been helping to enforce it by gathering intelligence at the roadside.

In return the village has given him a Local Hero Award.

Simon Curl, chairman of the council, said: "Due largely to Peter, we have seen the HGV violations drop from about ten per hour to about one or two per hour.

“Peter is keeping up the pressure on HGV drivers and, almost single-handed, has succeeded in bringing real benefit to the residents of High Street and Lower Street.

“Peter deserves the thanks of the whole community."

After collecting the award at the village's annual parish meeting Mr Westcott said: "It is a great honour to be given this award.

“It is always nice to be recognised by others for a job well done. However, the job is not done.

“We continue to carry out checks across the whole of the county and will take appropriate action where problems are found."

Simon Lavington, chairman of Sproughton Transport Panel, added: "Villages on the western fringes of Ipswich suffer from the inadequacies of the trunk road system.

“One consequence of this is that lorries try to take short cuts along minor roads.

“Peter Westcott has shown that somebody in Suffolk County Council not only realises that we have a problem but is prepared to help to solve it. Well done, Peter!"

Would you like to say thank you to your community hero? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.