A TEMPORARY notice banning HGVs from travelling along a narrow road in Lydiard Millicent may be put in place after impatient motorists destroyed a verge belonging to a farmer.

Heavy vehicles face not being allowed to travel Westward along the road for 21 days after the fuming farmer contacted a Wiltshire Council councillor.

The large stones on the verge alongside Lower Hook Farm on Hook Street were repeatedly removed to let vehicles pass each other on the weight-restricted lane last week.

Tyre tracks have churned up the grass along the verge and the farm’s 75-year-old owner John Hicks was dismayed to find he had to keep putting the heavy rocks back in place while recovering from a hip operation.

Traffic has increased on the road since it has been used as a diversion route while roadworks are being carried out on Junction 16 of the M4.

John said: “Each night the traffic got worse and worse, it was gridlocked nose to tail, it’s getting ridiculous.

“I had stones on the verge to stop the traffic driving over it, but they were moved to the side on Tuesday night.

“We pushed them back, only to discover they were all shoved into a ditch on Wednesday night.

“There are parts of the road where vehicles can pass each other but people get frustrated and don’t wait for the traffic to let them pass.

“They overtake using the verge which causes more problems.

“A neighbour helped me put up some fencing stakes so vehicles can’t drive on the verge even if the stones are moved, hopefully this will work.

“It’s going to take up to a month for me to recover from my operation, then the verge will be a muddle all winter and I’ll reinstate the grass in the spring.”

John contacted Wiltshire councillor Mollie Groom after his verge was ruined to raise concerns about the traffic on the road, resulting in the possible implementation of the new notice.

Coun Groom said: “It’s been absolute mayhem, motorists are using the road to go around Junction 16 and the verge has been severely damaged.

“Private residents should not be at the mercy of disrespectful drivers.

“We don’t mind ordinary traffic going through Lydiard Millicent but non-HGV driving routes must be respected. This new measure would hopefully alleviate the build-up of traffic on Hook Street.”

Coun Mary Martin, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for communities and place, said: “We are currently working with Wiltshire Council to look at what changes can be made to ease some of the congestion on Hook Street as a result of the improvement works under way at Junction 16.

"We are considering introducing a temporary one-way system for a section of the road as part of a trial and our Highways team is looking at the best way of achieving this.”