VILLAGERS trying to reduce the number of heavy lorries rumbling past their homes have been given some high-profile backing.

People in Beaulieu are worried that the daily flow of HGVs is taking its toll on old houses and historic buildings.

Hampshire County Council leader Ken Thornber, pictured, has taken up their cause to try to open up an alternative route.

He has also demanded that the county's fleet of waste lorries stop using the route as a rat run. Lorries use the B3054 through Beaulieu to get to Lymington because they cannot pass under a low bridge on the main A337 road.

Cllr Thornber told parish councillors that he would hold talks with Network Rail to see if the 14ft Ampress Bridge, just outside Lymington, could be raised, or the road lowered - at a cost of at least £500,000. Lorries could then travel through Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst to get to Lymington on the A337 instead of cutting through Beaulieu.

Cllr Thornber, who represents Brockenhurst, said: "It seems to me we should be saying to Network Rail that the bridge needs raising and if it means relaying track then so be it."

Parish council chairman Chris Fairweather said: "We are not going to stop all HGVs because Beaulieu is an access route to the waterfront, but we are trying to see if we can lessen the impact of them on the village. There are a lot of old houses in Beaulieu and as lorries thunder through we fear they are doing structural damage."

He added that HGVs also had to make a tight corner at the junction of the High Street and Palace Lane to bypass the centre of the village.

"We fear there could be a nasty accident, although luckily this hasn't happened yet," he said.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "If Hampshire County Council would like to talk to us about changes to the bridge, we would be interested in hearing their suggestions for solving this problem for local people.

"Generally speaking, bridge works of this type may prove to be prohibitively expensive, given that the railway would need to be relaid, realigned and closed while works took place.

"However, providing the project proved feasible from an engineering perspective, it would not be impossible without external funding."