Council leaders have called for fines to be imposed on lorry drivers who ignore weight restrictions on minor roads.

The Local Government Association (LGA) says the money collected from the fines could be used towards tackling the nation’s £12bn pothole backlog.

It wants local authorities to be able to issue fines to ‘heavy haulage road rogues’ to 'bring peace and tranquility back to some blighted communities'.

Lorries of a certain weight or width are banned from many minor roads but the police do not always have the resources to enforce the restrictions.

The Government has handed powers to local authorities in Wales and London to take action if lorry drivers break the law.

But the LGA said councils across the country must also be given the ability to enforce weight and width restrictions in their communities.

Villages and rural communities across the country have been blighted by a recent spate of lorry crashes.

In one incident a 40-foot articulated beer truck operator cannoned off houses in the picturesque Devon village of Uffculme in the early hours of the morning, after apparently misjudging a narrow street, bringing power lines crashing down.

LGA transport spokesman Cllr Peter Box said: 'If a community is being plagued by problems at an accident blackspot, councils should be able to respond to communities’ concerns by issuing fines to act as a deterrent.'

'We would stress that most lorry drivers are reputable and drive responsibly. These powers would be targeted at the minority who do not follow the law.'

Freight Transport Association urban logistics head Christopher Snelling said: ‘We fully support enforcement of weight and width restrictions and actively help our members to adhere to these with regular updates on regulations and industry innovations.

‘Transferring responsibility for policing these restrictions to local residents would be fraught with problems because most would not have the relevant knowledge to make judgements.’