ACTIVISTS are growing concerned by the apparent dangers posed by a freight depot after a lorry crashed into a parked car.

Homeowners in Frating Road and Bromley Road, Great Bromley, have recently joined forces to form the Residents Against Commercial Expansion group.

The 50-strong group of families has grown frustrated with and worried about the impact of the Pallet Plus site, which is sandwiched between two properties.

During the early hours of September 14 a lorry belonging to the distribution company is said to have smashed into the back of a red Citroen forcing it into a garden.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

In images seen by the Gazette, the rear end of the vehicle was left badly smashed in before police officers attended the scene to investigate at about 6.30am.

A spokeswoman for Essex Police said: "We were called on September 14 following a report of a collision at Bromley Road, Frating concerning a car and a lorry.

"Officers attended and no offences were reported."

According to residents the latest road accident marked the second involving a Pallet Plus vehicle in the area and has heightened concern for the safety of locals.

Gerald Lewis, a homeowner in the area said: “A neighbour’s car was badly damaged and pushed across the pavement into his neighbour’s garden.

“Thank goodness no one was on the pavement - this is a road where children get picked up and dropped off by the school bus.

“By allowing the continuation of heavy traffic there is real possibility of a serious accident – action must be taken before somebody gets seriously injured.”

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

Terri Philp, a self-dubbed “disgruntled resident of Bromley Road”, echoed the views and predictions of Mr Lewis.

She added: “I would like to make my feelings known about the dangerous situation we find ourselves in with the volume of heavy lorries thundering down our road.

“The whole thing has become an accident waiting to happen and something has to be done before there is a fatality.

“One of the cars has been parking on the road for several months now so I can't imagine there are any lorry drivers at Pallet Plus that are not aware of it.

“All the drivers and owners of this site can go home when they have finished for the day but we are stuck with the intrusion and disruption to our way of life.”

Amanda Thacker, another resident living in Bromley Road, has now called for urgent action to be taken to ensure the flow of traffic in the area safer.

“The increase in heavy goods vehicles on a rural road is clearly not an appropriate place for expansion,” she added.

“This incident was waiting to happen and I'm just relieved there was no risk to life, however this could be a matter of time if no action is taken.”

The latest incident comes after the campaigners said they were unable to sleep due to the company’s employees working throughout night, often manoeuvring loud lorries.

Residents also claimed to regularly hear “banging and clanging” and say further sleep-disrupting floodlights have now been installed.

Pallet Plus was contacted for comment but did not respond.