PEOPLE in Shildon are to combat the menace of heavy lorries driving through the town by installing their own spy camera this weekend.

Residents are setting up the camera to highlight the number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) travelling along Spout Lane to nearby industrial estates, particularly at night.

Mother-of-three Caroline Dent, 28, and other residents of Almond Court, have paid for the camera.

Mrs Dent said: "It's the noise and the air pollution. I can't go into my garden to socialise because of it, or leave my windows open. Even with double glazing it still disturbs people.

"No-one seems to be taking any notice and we're all fed up.

"We don't want to stop the cars, it's the wagons. There's a bypass around the town, but the wagon drivers don't seem to use it."

The residents, who want to see a weight restriction put on the lane like with Redworth Road and Dale Road, have won the support of Shildon and Newton Aycliffe county councillor Tony Moore.

He said: "What is also concerning me is that in the near future there's going to be the new Shildon museum which means using this road.

"I believe we should be looking at the structure of the road network in Shildon to suit the extra traffic that they are going to get."

The residents will meet with Durham County Council's highways engineers in a week's time to discuss the problems. A traffic study has already been carried out.

A spokesman for the council said yesterday that it was not keen on imposing a weight restriction, because it could lead to more traffic going through the town centre.

"It is a C class road and quite capable of taking HGVs," he said.

"However, what is concerning the council is the amount of HGVs using it through the night, which was confirmed by the traffic count.

"As such, we've written to the haulage operators in the area asking if they could refrain from doing that."

The spokesman said he would welcome the results of the spy camera coverage.