What is behind tensions between lorry drivers and locals?

Residents claim lorry drivers parking illegally near their homes are leaving litter and using their street as a toilet.

People living close to the Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk, say drivers are dumping bags of litter and human waste.

But a drivers' welfare organisation has suggested the truckers' actions could stem from feeling "low" because of the way they are viewed in society.

So, what is at the root of the problem and what can be done about it?

Kerstin Chinery once counted 21 HGVs parked on Carr Road's double-yellow lines, she told the BBC last month.

She said she regularly came across bags and bottles of human waste while picking litter with her six-year-old daughter.

"If a child runs over a bag, they've got faeces and urine trodden into their school shoes," she said.

Andy Damant said he wanted to see lorry drivers banned from nearby Langer Road, and said something needed to be done before "somebody gets badly hurt".

He also said there was “no excuse” for littering or illegally parking.

“There are 24-hour toilets a five-minute walk away, bins less than 100m away, and a lorry park less than 400m away,” he said.

“The women here could do without seeing a truck driver in his pants urinating when they walk their kids to school.

“Anyone who tries to justify illegal parking is in need of a head wobble.”

According to the Office for National Statistics, the suicide rate among truck drivers from 2011 to 2015 was 20% higher than the national average for England and Wales of about 12 deaths for every 100,000 people per year.

Andrew Proctor, who runs the organisation Here All Day, which advocates for drivers' welfare, said more needed to be done to ensure they felt respected and catered for.

He said the way drivers were "spoken to, treated and valued" in society, and the fact they were away from home for long periods, could adversely affect their mental health.

"That may lead them to litter; maybe not care about their environment as much," he said.

"Some of these guys are feeling quite low so even looking after themselves is an issue, let alone the environment around them."

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Liberal Democrat councillor Seamus Bennett represents the Central ward on Felixstowe Town Council and Eastern Felixstowe on East Suffolk Council.

He said he was "not against lorry drivers" but that the mental health of residents was as important as theirs.

"They do an essential job and I have nothing but respect for them as qualified key workers in our economy," he said.

"But this is about the parking of trucks outside houses. That should not affect their self-esteem.

"I know that the mental health of some residents is being affected by this. Some are getting a lack of sleep due to lorries starting up at four in the morning."

According to the Road Haulage Association, lorry drivers are legally required to stop and take mandatory breaks and rest periods under strict regulations.

The Port of Felixstowe said it provided "toilets, bins and two canteens for HGV drivers to use" at the port.

There is also a truck stop nearby, although it only has space for 50 lorries.

In November 2022, the Department for Transport introduced the Heavy Goods Vehicle Parking and Driver Welfare Match Funding Grant Scheme.

The objective was to improve lorry parks, where HGV drivers rest, to contribute to the overall aim of improving HGV driver recruitment and retention rates.

Sixty-six grants were awarded to lorry parking operators across 30 counties in England up to a match funding value of £315,000 per lorry park, per application window.

According to a government report published after the scheme ended in March 2026, 67% of the 638 drivers who responded to a survey said they had noticed the changes.

Proctor, however, believes more facilities and parking spaces are still needed locally.

"I'm not proposing trucks should park in and around Felixstowe, but if they're able to do so, they will, because of the lack of parking facilities," he said.

"Parking on the side of the road is a lot safer than being in a lay-by, and some of those drivers may have run out of hours and it was their last option."

In December, East Suffolk Council enforced a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in an area from Viewpoint to Cliff Road and near the Port of Felixstowe.

It prohibits dangerous or anti-social driving, excessive noise and emissions, nuisance congregation, the consumption of alcohol or drugs.

According to signs installed in the area, environmental damage and misuse of public spaces could also see offenders given a fixed penalty notice of up to £1,000.

Paul Ashton, Liberal Democrat deputy leader of East Suffolk Council, said work on installing additional signage to deter lorry drivers from parking illegally was also under way.

"Our parking enforcement team are ready to commence patrols, including out-of-hours, and this will begin once the correct signage is in place," he said.

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