FED-UP residents are calling on councillors to act amid fears their village is becoming a “rat-run”.

Residents of Stisted say they’re at their wits end over the rural village being used as a short cut from the A131 to the A120 and vice versa – including by articulated lorries and heavy goods vehicles. 

It comes as Braintree Eastern councillor Paul Thorogood handed a petition to Essex County Council on behalf of residents.

In just three days, villager Barbara Binyon collected 233 signatures for her petition to County Hall.

It calls on councillors to look at introducing traffic calming measures “to stop articulated lorries and heavy goods vehicles from using the narrow lanes through the parish of Stisted.”

Barbara said: “This shows the village is very concerned about the traffic, and the condition it is leaving our roads and verges.

“When the ruts and damaged edges of the roads are eaten away by the heavy vehicles, they fill with water and cover the danger and tyres and wheels on cars are instantly damaged.”

Mrs Binyon also said it made no sense the A120 speed limit was 50mph but it became 60mph when turning into the narrow Kings Lane, Bridge Hall Road or Water Lane at Stisted. 

Mr Thorogood said he had requested Essex Highways look at ways to prevent articulated lorries and heavy good vehicles from using Stisted with weight restrictions and better signage, contacting sat-nav companies, and reducing the speed limit. 

He said: "These lorries are a safety hazard to other road users and pedestrians and are damaging property, the local bridges, signage, road surfaces and edges, verges and hedges.

“They even get stuck in the centre of Stisted and when they reverse, they cause even more damage.

"Deterring lorries from using Stisted as a rat run will save Essex Highways a lot of money in the long run.”

Lee Scott, the cabinet member responsible for highways, said he would ask officers to report back to him on the matter and would respond to Mrs Binyon.