Southwark puts brake on overloaded lorries

Trading standard officers in Southwark have launched a crackdown on overloaded lorries, which are a danger on the roads because their braking power is drastically reduced.

Three cases have been successfully prosecuted in the last three weeks after a joint effort between the council and;the South-east area traffic unit of the Metropolitan Police.

More than one in five of the 650 lorries stopped and checked in the borough annually exceed safe-weight limits.

William Yoxall, Southwark's chief trading standards officer, said: 'The borough's roads are constructed to withstand only normal loads; overloaded vehicles add wear and tear and cause vibrations which damage buildings.