Much Wenlock danger fears as sat-navs direct lorries through narrow streets

Residents say they are fed up of huge lorries attempting to navigate through the centre of the town, often knocking into buildings and signs as they go.

In the latest incident this week, a passing lorry struck part of an upstairs bay window out of a building in Wilmore Street.

Now shopkeeper Vanessa Laming, who runs Mrs P's Sweets and News in High Street, is calling for Shropshire Council to take urgent action to tackle the problem.

She fears there could be a serious accident soon if something is not done to stop HGV drivers from driving through the town.

She said a large timber lorry drove through Wilmore Street on Monday, its load knocking out a wooden bay window to a flat above the Antiques and Collectables shop before driving away.

The irony will be that the lorries are there because the drivers are trying not to get lost – by slavishly following the directions issued by their sat-navs.

The upshot is that lorries have been going down the narrow streets bashing buildings and street signs.

In the past this has had comical outcomes as lorry drivers have become stuck in narrow country lanes, in some cases for days.

Sometimes the outcomes have been less comical and potentially dangerous, with huge trucks trying to turn around in town centres.

This is the downside of our increasing reliance on new technology which in some respects makes life much easier, but on the other hand throws up new and unexpected problems. Once the drivers have made that wrong turn, it is too late.

Mrs Laming said she had produced several home-made signs which she had displayed on lampposts around the town, but these had been damaged by the rain.

"They've got to do something before somebody gets killed, or one of these important buildings is badly damaged," she said.

"We've put out a traffic cone, which we have dressed as a little girl, to stop people parking on the pavement.

Nightmare

"They put a bollard a little bit further down, but there are still problems with people parking on the pavement making it difficult for cars to get down the road.

"You can't blame the drivers when they are following their sat navs, but it is a nightmare."

Shropshire Council spokesman Callum McLagan said they were aware of Monday's incident, but was not asked to assist with any clear-up work or to attend the scene.

"Wilmore Street is subject to a 7.5 tonne weight restriction, however this order does permit access to property," he said.

The incident is the latest in a long line of problems across the county with sat-nav systems directing heavy vehicles through unsuitable routes.

In 2010, a delivery driver collided with the wall of the Admiral Benbow pub in Swan Hill, Shrewsbury, after his device directed him down a narrow road.

And in 2009, a 40ft lorry became stuck for 20 minutes as it tried to negotiate a tight corner in Market Drayton, causing damage to four businesses.

The incident prompted the then mayor, Councillor Roy Aldcroft, to call for traffic restrictions to prevent HGV drivers "blindly following sat-navs".

In one particularly notorious case, road signs had to be installed along the A442 south of Quatt, near Hampton Loade, after sat-nav systems directed drivers onto the banks of the River Severn.

The systems told drivers they could cross the river at a bridge which has not been there since the First World War.

Scores of vehicles were sent on a wild goose chase by the gadgets, with the landlord of the River and Rail pub at Hampton Loade having to point drivers in the right direction.