A SHOP owner whose store has been repeatedly hit by HGVs driving round a tight town centre corner has described the situation as ‘madness’.

Chris Wilkins says his Broad Street Vodafone store in Ross-on-Wye has suffered ‘loads of damage’ as lorries try and negotaite the turn off the narrow New Street.

And he has now sent films of HGVs struggling round the corner to Herefordshire Council calling for signage to halt the chaos.

“The turn from New Street onto Broad Street is simply not wide enough for HGVs,” he said, after the premises was struck again on Monday morning, closing the road for nearly an hour,” he said.

“It’s madness… I contacted the council as the Vodafone shop I run is constantly getting hit as we are right on the apex of the turn.

“But I went round in circles with the council to be basically told there was nothing they could do with signage, unless I had some video evidence of the lorries mounting the kerb.

“I have since sent those videos to them which may result in getting something done.”

He added: “We have probably been hit four times in the last two months. It tends to be on an evening when the store is closed.

“When we are open the store manager goes out and guides them around.

“From what I understand the HGVs are coming up the A40 and then the sat nav is diverting them through the town.

“There needs to be a sign to stop them turning into New Street. They really should be following the A40 to the second island and then going down the A40 around the back of the town.”

Former Ross mayor and current county councillor Ed O’Driscoll is also backing the call for action.

In a Facebook chat on the Ross-on-Wye Notice Board page, Cllr O’Driscoll posted: “I’m currently communicating with the county council and the Vodafone landlords to try and find a solution. I agree, signage is part of the solution.”

Posters said something needed to be done to stop the HGVs driving into the street, with many pointing the finger at sat nav.

A woman poster added: “It is time something was done to stop all lorries, coaches, etc coming down New Street surely… more thought needs to be given to direct them along the wider roads.”

And another added: “There should be a sign at the top of New St to stop access. All those saying how else will the shops get deliveries, the same way they normally do, along Gloucester Rd and turn down Broad St… I’m sure the council can put a temporary sign up until something more permanent can be put in place.”

Another poster said: “I was under the impression a lot of the big lorries are coming into town to get to the farms in Walford as they can’t go Kerne Bridge way.

“This is about the third time this has happened since the road closure.”