Millbrook resident puts block on noisy delivery lorries

Fed up with noisy early-morning deliveries to his local Tesco Express, Paul Harris snapped – and took matters into his own hands.

Deciding on direct action, Mr Harris blockaded one of the supermarket giant’s lorries in with his own car.

Mr Harris parked his van in front of a delivery lorry while it was unloading – and refused to move it until store bosses promised to reconsider their deliveries.

The 50-year-old, who carried out the protest yesterday morning, said: “I have tried to negotiate with the manager for over a year now to try to stop unloading at the back of the store, which they are not supposed to do.

“They are meant to make all deliveries through the front of the shop but they have said it’s easier to do it round the back.

“Sometimes they have up to eight trolleys rattling along the path at 7.30am.

“Not only is it noise disturbance, there are also cracked pavements and broken kerbs from where the lorries reverse back and forth over them.”

Three years ago Mr Harris, who lives in Pennine Road, next to the store in Wimpson Lane, Southampton, spearheaded a similar protest blocking in lorries from delivering to the rear of the store.

Residents claimed a victory when Tesco promised to make all its deliveries to the front of the store, but their celebrations were short-lived when the problems soon came back.

Mr Harris, a builder, added: “We thought we had put a stop to it three years ago but here I am again.

“As a builder I can’t start my diggers at 7.30am so why can Tesco do it?

“Thankfully a manager has told me it’s no problem and they will get it sorted. If they don’t, they will have the same problem again.”

Tesco, whose slogan is “Every Little Helps”, has vowed to reconsider deliveries at Millbrook.

A Tesco spokesman said: “We take our responsibilities to the community very seriously and will continue to speak to our neighbours to resolve the issues surrounding deliveries.”