'Heavy mob' roll in
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by CM reporter by the hundred obvious that there are certainly hundreds of overweight lorries arriving every day.
"More than 6,000 lorries roll off through Dover East docks in a week and this number is rising. If anything the number of offences for overloading is also going up."
Last year there were some 500 prosecutions and fines totalling £29,000 were imposed. Mr Stokoe said that not all offenders are brought to court because despite a rapid prosecution process some hauliers disappeared back to their own country. Kent Council consumer protection committee have considered much tougher laws to try to beat the problem.
Members have suggested pressing the Home Office for powers to confiscate any lorry that weighed over the 32-ton limit. But this move was rejected.
Instead the committee has decided to wait to see the report of a Home Office working party which is looking into the problem of overloading and the difficulties which often arise during prosecution.
Until that working party reports and its suggestions are acted upon Mr Stokoe believed that the situation can only get worse, "There is a limit to the manpower that can be used on enforcement of these regulations. In due course we may even have to reduce the number of checks we do at the moment," he warned.
"With spending cuts very much on everyone's minds it becomes a question of priorities. How do you decide if faced with the choice between social services and overloaded lorries ?"