Ref. 30728-1RESIDENTS living near a man who has been using their neighbourhood as an HGV park say he has made their lives a living hell.

Andrew Veal also known as Big Bruce of Fosse Close, Rodbourne, has been running his own company for more than a decade.

He uses land behind his house in Fosse Close as a builders' yard, which often means access to residents' garages is blocked as countless lorries come and go from the site.

A traffic commission inquiry held yesterday found that, despite having a unit on Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, where Mr Veal knows he should park his three 7.5 tonne lorries, he continues to use Fosse Close to the detriment of his neighbours' health and well-being.

Carol Holmes, 58, a secretary who lives in Fosse Close with husband Derek, 63, said: "It's so exasperating. It's been going on for 10 years and has gradually got worse and worse.

"We've been pushing for the authorities to take action but he seems to get away with it all the time."

Mrs Holmes says so many lorries come back and forth that it can be dangerous walking through the area.

She said: "Our car is parked in the garage there. Even though my husband doesn't need to leave for work until 7.30am he has to go down there at 6.30am just to stand a chance of accessing our own garage. Mr Veal takes over the land completely when it's land that should be shared between residents."

She claims he parks his lorries there and conducts business from the site and he and his workers are often noisy and abusive.

Traffic examiner Matthew Thompson from the Department of Transport was first alerted to problems at Fosse Close in 2002.

He asked Mrs Holmes to keep a diary of Mr Veal's activities, which she did.

At a traffic commission inquiry yesterday Mr Veal admitted breaching the terms and conditions of his operating licence.

He has previously been fined for carrying dangerous loads and not calibrating a tachograph on one of his vehicles.

Phillip Brown, the traffic commissioner for the western region, had the power to revoke Mr Veal's licence and warned him that if further complaints were received he would take such action. Instead, Mr Veal's licence was suspended for 14 days.

Speaking at the hearing, Mr Veal said taking his licence away would have devastating effects for his business. He declined to comment further when approached by the Advertiser.

Emma-Kate Lidbury