Lorry drivers in Kent urged to avoid unsuitable roads
Lorries on unsuitable roads in Kent are to be monitored to encourage drivers to be more considerate of communities.
Kent County Council said 87% of HGVs travelling between the UK and Europe last year passed through the county.
Lorry Watch, where local volunteers will carry out observations of the roads, is being piloted in the Leeds and Langley areas, near Maidstone.
Details of the lorries will be noted and operators will be contacted to establish why they were in the area.
Road signs will warn drivers they are being monitored.
The scheme is a joint initiative between Kent parish councils, Kent County Council and Kent Police, and aims to "empower local people in areas where issues with through traffic of HGVs persist".
The operators of the vehicles will be contacted by council officials and encouraged to route their vehicles "in a considerate manner".
Local communities will be advised as to why vehicles were in their area and if it was unavoidable.
Kent Police have said that where legal orders are frequently breached they will look to penalise persistent offenders.