A concerned resident has called for better enforcement of weight restrictions on a narrow road to prevent road accidents.

Jeffrey Schwartz, who lives near Smug Oak Lane, in St Albans, said that heavy-duty vehicles regularly used the road, despite a 7.5-tonne weight restriction in place.

Only vehicles loading and unloading in the area are exempt from the restriction but Jeffrey claims he has seen lorries using Smug Oak Lane for a different purpose.

He claimed that too many trucks were using the road as a short cut to the M1 and were, therefore, “dangerously taking up too much of the opposite lane and forcing cars off the road”.

Jeffrey continued: “They also cause surface damage to the Tarmac, which is not meant to service heavy trucks.”

He said he was extremely apprehensive about the future should the rail freight depot be built on the former Radlett Airfield in Park Street because he feared that thousands more trucks would “take this illegal short-cut”.

He added that a camera strategically placed on the road could help resolve the issue.

Adam Such, St Albans Safer Neighbourhood Team inspector, commented: “We rely on reports from members of the public to make us aware of any road related issues in the district that need police enforcement.

“In this instance, we have not received reports about issues on Smug Oak Lane; we would therefore encourage anyone who witnesses lorry drivers in the prohibited area to report it to us via the police non-emergency number 101.”