A SHALDON couple are demanding action after enduring years of damage to their property from large vehicles trying to squeeze round a narrow bend.

The damage to the wall and gate at the listed Georgian house in Ringmore has run into thousands of pounds, and pedestrians are also at risk of serious injury.

Shirley and Fred Hambly, of Enfield, Coombe Road, say the problem could easily be solved by a few yards of double yellow lines, but the authorities 'do not want to know'.

Now they are at their wits' end, and Shirley declared: 'I've tried being nice, and tried being cross, but it's got us nowhere. What can we do now?'

They have lived in the house, which belonged to Fred's parents, for about 30 years, but say the damage has escalated in recent years.

Lorries, trucks and farm machinery often find it difficult to negotiate the sharp bend because of cars legally parked on one side.

Their have been 'numerous' incidents of vehicles damaging the parked cars and the wall. The latest occurred recently when a Polish HGV driver was following his sat-nav and came to grief, causing considerable damage.

A few months before, a tractor and trailer moving hay also got into difficulties, with similar consequences.

'The damage to the walls causes us a great deal of inconvenience. Although we might be covered by insurance, the premiums will increase and we have the hassle of finding have the hassle of finding

builders to do the work, which can several weeks," Shirley pointed out.

"But our biggest concern is the safety of pedestrians. Schoolchildren who walk past here most days have to often squeeze into our gate to let traffic past, but if any had been there when the gate and pillars were brought down, they could have been killed.

"The same applies to people from the holiday camp further along the road who walk into Shaldon.

"The county council seem to be saying that the risk of injury is not high enough to do anything about it. But that is ridiculous – it is obviously very dangerous. Do we have to wait for somebody to be badly hurt or killed before anything is done?

"The traffic is not going to stop using this road and the bend, but there is a simple, cheap solution – just prohibit parking opposite our house to give the vehicles more room to manoeuvre. It would only mean the loss of about two parking spaces, and I am sure most people around here would go along with that."

The last accident involved four police officers and two patrol cars arriving to divert traffic, and closing the road for two-hours.

Shaldon parish councillors are also demanding that something is done, and the chairman, Peter Williams, said the village was increasingly suffering from 'impossibly' large vehicles,either causing obstructions or damage, often due to sat-nav systems.

The narrow road through Ringmore had no signs to warn of possible problems, and the council believed yellow lines were the only practical solution.

"We have called on the county council to reconsider their decision not to take any action. There is a huge potential for a serious accident," Cllr Williams said.

Parish council press officer Peter Stokes added they would be calling on county and district councillors to support the campaign.