TWENTY-FIRST century traffic is taking a heavy toll on a picturesque thatched cottage in a conservation area at the heart of Ludgershall.

Rebecca and Ian Cope say their home, a former shop which is listed, has been hit three times by high-sided lorries since they moved in on 31 March.

So far only thatch has been damaged on the building in Castle Street but this is expensive to repair and the incidents could presage more serious damage to come.

"It is getting to the point that we are frightened to go out to see what the damage has been," said Rebecca.

She contacted Wiltshire County Council to see whether they could help but was not impressed with their initial response which was that the couple should have thought about the potential for damage when they moved in.

Now county councillor Mark Connolly has taken up their case. "I have been told that the council is not legally responsible for thatch that is overhanging but I have spoken to the director and told him that I didn't think the Marlborough office had been very helpful," he said.

"We are looking at erecting a permanent structure to try to ensure that vehicles don't come into contact with the property."

In the longer term there is the possibility that some roads could be made one-way which would lessen the chances of lorries clouting the property.

However, this would not happen until the next annual highway review and might wait until the link road is constructed.