Fed up residents in one of Kent's prettiest villages have spoken of living in an HGV hell - claiming huge lorries have blighted their homes for decades.

People living in Goudhurst, Kent, say their listed homes and cars are constantly damaged by lorries diverted onto the tight A road running through their village.

Several photos and videos demonstrate the "chaos" caused by tractors, lorries and other large vehicles on the sharp bend next to St Mary's church. "

Emergency services often also become stuck in the village - considered by The Sunday Times to be one of the prettiest in Kent - and parents walking children to school are also left in harm's way.

Locals insist lorry drivers are directed to their village on sat nav apps when other routes are more congested.

Villagers in nearby Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and Biddenden have joined with those from Goudhurst to form the A262 Traffic Action Group, which is determined to work with Kent County Council (KCC) to find a solution.

Sarah Power, who has lived in the medieval village for around four-and-a-half years, says traffic outside her Grade-II listed home is often at a standstill as lorries try to manoeuvre past one another.

The mum of two, in her 40s, says HGVs navigating the sharp S-bend in front of her house not only cause constant damage to her home, but also keep her up at night.

Mrs Power said: "It's an accident waiting to happen. It's been going on for decades..."

"We've teamed up with other villages, but Goudhurst is really where all of the monumental delays happen. "

"We've had tyres blow out and take a piece out of our cars from the pressure. "

"These accidents have the potential to kill a pedestrian."

Whenever a lorry gets stuck, it closes the thoroughfare for hours.

"Local buses, highway maintenance and ambulances can't get through. Someone will die on that corner at some point. It's absolute carnage."

Videos taken by Mrs Power show tractors trying to fit past lorries, with some altercations between drivers nearly coming to blows.

"I live in the house on the sharp corner," she said. "It's Grade-II listed and we are meant to spend a fortune maintaining it - but most people just hit it and drive off. "

"KCC allows these vehicles of a massive magnitude to come in and shake the foundations of our house on a daily basis. "

"Our house is constantly hit. They come crashing down, 38-tonne lorries, over the pavement every day."

"They break off bits of tile, ruin the brickwork; it has shattered our chimney stack just from the vibrations, side windows of vehicles smashed in, HGV bumpers left on our doorstep..."

"We have our property damaged at least every three or four weeks, and the vibrations cause damage all day, every day."

Mrs Power and her family moved into their home during lockdown, when traffic wasn't as busy as it normally is.

She says neighbours have told her issues with HGVs in the village have persisted for as long as 35 years.

"I didn't think any council would be that insane to let such vehicles down such a narrow, blind corner in a high-heritage little village," Mrs Powers said. "

"It's astounding. They rattle through at night as well, beeping their horns in the middle of the night so they don't have to slow down. "

"Sometimes HGVs come from both directions and when they meet head-to-head, they can block the village for hours. "

"Emergency services get held up all of the time. It's horrendous. On the odd occasion, you get a lull in the traffic and think, 'It could be so nice here'. "

Helen Sampson, another resident and a member of the A262 Traffic Action Group, said the now notorious traffic through Goudhurst has meant "rat runs" run through other small villages, putting schoolchildren in danger. "

Mrs Sampson, who has lived in Goudhurst for eight years, said: "It has got worse [in recent years], because the traffic has got heavier and people have got more impatient."

"We have been thwarted on every solution that we think possible. "

"The Parish Council are really pushing for a solution, because it blights the village. "

"Not only do we have lorries, but we have speeding cars. Biddenden also has a big S bend. "

"People get frustrated and speed out of the villages. "

"We have primary schools on the busy road as well. It's 30mph, but most people are going significantly faster than that. "

"It's not just the HGVs - although they are getting much bigger."

"Parking up the high street blocks pedestrian access. People are taking their children to school and risking life and limb. "

"At least 400 cars go in one direction in one hour. Other roads become like a rat run and it's really dangerous."

"We need to go back to pony and carts - that's what the road was built for."

Campaigners say KCC have the power to restrict which vehicles are allowed down the road, but cannot divert traffic to roads belonging to other authorities, including Highways England.

Ms Sampson added that though there is a sign warning HGV drivers that the route is "unsuitable" for long vehicles, she believes it's "so wordy" that she doesn't think drivers pay any notice. "

However, calls for a simpler sign with a cross running through a lorry - which might help those who don't speak English as their first language - KCC has said this was not possible.

"It's just ludicrous," Ms Sampson fumed. "

"We are trying every which way to make it safer for all three villages. "

"People have come from KCC and were shocked and horrified, but they don't live here - they go back to their desks and carry on."

A KCC spokesperson said they were continuing to work with Goudhurst Parish Council to seek a solution to the ongoing problems with HGVs in the village.

"We are aware of concerns regarding HGV traffic on the A262 through villages such as Goudhurst," they said. "

"Our teams have been investigating potential solutions for some time."

"Legally, all classes of vehicle can use the public highway unless a Traffic Regulation Order is in place to restrict certain movements, such as a weight limit. "

"These restrictions will be subject to a detailed review of both the road in question, and the surrounding network which may be impacted by such changes. "

"For example, restricting traffic on the A262 could result in lorries using far less suitable routes, including roads across the Kent border and narrower corridors such as Park Lane near Bedgebury Park. "

"Officers continue to explore other options and are in active discussions with the parish council to find a solution."