SIR,

I write in response to last week's correspondent on the subject.

I live close to the car parks at the lower end of the town, which have until recently been used as overnight lorry parks and I applaud the steps taken by the authorities to stop it. Vehicles used to arrive in the early evening and depart after a noisy sleep-stopping warm up at any time after 5.30 a.m. next morning.

How true it is I don't know, but I am advised that the surface of the car parks was not laid to withstand regular use by heavy vehicles.

Furthermore, there are no overnight toilet facilities nearby, as a result of which telltale pools of urine were frequently left behind by departing drivers.

I sympathise with the problems experienced by HGV drivers who are governed by the tachographs installed in their vehicles, but would point out that there are purpose built lorry parks situated on both sides of the A40 just south of Whitchurch, barely three miles north of town and there are similar parks at Raglan Services almost the same distance away in the opposite direction.

(Name and address supplied)