A SMALL army of volunteers in high visibility jackets could soon be taking to the streets in an effort to stop heavy goods vehicles breaking weight restrictions. The scheme – Lorry Watch – is to be set up by local residents and will target areas such as Mill Road, Cranebridge Road and Crane Street, where there is a 7.5 tonne weight restriction.

Simon King of Trading Standards reported at Thursday’s Salisbury Area Board meeting that a similar scheme in Laverstock had been “very encouraging”.

He said: “Over the last year there have been 105 reports in Laverstock by the medieval bridge and 30 of these have been found to be infringing the weight restriction order.

“It seems our softly, softly approach is working because after we’ve written to the company concerned, the same lorries are not seen again.

“However, just because a Lorry Watch scheme is in operation, it does not mean you’re not going to get articulated lorries because if they’ve got a load to deliver on that road, they can go there and deliver it.”

The scheme is run by local residents, who stand by the road and monitor passing traffic, writing down registration numbers of offending vehicles and feeding the information to Trading Standards. Area board chairman Richard Clewer said: “It will take a little while to set up but the scheme is extremely good news - the number of lorries going down these roads is a significant problem in parts of the city.”