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P LAW AND ORDER
Page 12
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Kent Police in parking clampdown
KENT POLICE IS stepping up patrols on an industrial estate near Ashford after residents complained that trucks were parking there illegally due to a lack of official spaces.
The ongoing problems concerning a shortage of truckstops in the county mean many foreign drivers are using the Orbital Business Park and escaping fines because they're too hard to trace.
Ashford International Truck Stop general manager Richard Welch confirms it is turning away drivers almost every night by 9.30pm because its 300 spaces are all taken.
He adds: At one stage, we used to close the park at 10pm-11pm. Now it's 8.00pm-9.30pm. We're completely full. We never tell drivers to go anywhere other than official motorway parking services" Now Kent Police says it will increase its surveillance of the business park.
A police spokeswoman says: "The problem is that when the truckstop is full, or some lorry drivers can't afford to go to Ashford International Truck Stop, they will park on the Orbital Business Park.
-There are no facilities for lorry drivers, and we have had complaints from nearby residents and problems with litter. We are stepping up our patrols.
"It's something we are taking considerable time to remedy, and [we are] listening to all parties concerned."