ANGRY Newport residents say their lives are being made hell by huge trucks driving up and down their street at all hours of the day and night.

Ten years ago people living on Mendalgief Road, Pill, took to the streets in protest demanding the road be blocked to through traffic.

Now they say the problem of heavy goods vehicles thundering up and down the road is worse than ever.

Part of the road has a 7.5 ton weight limit, but it is claimed a number of HGV drivers are ignoring it.

Gwent police acknowledge the residents' concerns but say enforcement is difficult.

Retired engineer David Price, 60, said: "It's driving me up the wall - we never get any peace.

"The house is constantly shaking when these lorries are driving past.

"When the SDR was built we were told it would help but they still use Mendalgief Road as a short cut."

Residents are demanding action.

Retired miner Wyndham Williams, 61, said: "It's unbelievable. They drive here all hours of the night and the house shakes."

Pill councillor Laura Buchanan-Smith said she had "grave concerns" about the situation.

She said: "I am fully aware of the problem and something urgently needs to be done about it.

The weight restriction is supposed to push HGVs off the road but it's obviously not working."

She added that Newport council is considering plans to make traffic alterations to the bottom end of Mendalgief Road.

Inspector Mark Warrender, of Pill police, said officers conducted two traffic surveys in February and April this year, but did not find any vehicles breaking the regulations.

He said: "I appreciate the residents are concerned and I don't dispute there are problems.

"It's difficult from an enforcement point of view as a proportion of vehicles are there legitimately.

"Identifying which ones aren't would require stopping every vehicle."

But Inspector Warrender said police have written warning letters to a haulage company and a bus company that residents identified as breaking the weight restriction, and will take action where possible.