A HAULAGE company has hit out at vandals who struck while drivers slept in their lorries in Herefordshire.

Lloyds Haulage, of Presteigne, also criticised a lack of respect for lorry drivers.

The company said that while two drivers were parked up in Penyard Lane in Ross-on-Wye recently, they woke and started their daily checks to find that their lorries had been vandalised overnight.

Other than the obvious damage to lorries, which saw graffiti sprayed onto the side of the Volvo lorries, the mirrors were also sprayed meaning the drivers couldn't work until the damage was fixed.

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The company said these costs will be passed back onto the consumer, so the vandals are only hurting themselves.

It led to the company reflecting on the the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the first lockdown, which was, it said, "one of the most uncertain and potentially dangerous times know to this generation".

"The UK came together and people did what they could do to help others stay safe," a spokesperson said.

"The biggest outcome of this in our opinion was the recognition of often unseen services and service industries such as our great NHS, care workers, our farmers and goods transport.

"I remember as driving up the A49 from Hereford after delivering 18-tonnes of wood pellets to a chicken farm, the number of passing motorists who waved and flashed in appreciation of myself and similar drivers who were potentially putting ourselves in harms way to keep the country supplied.

"Now, two years on from this, it seems that it has all been forgotten.

"Truck stops are closing, councils are imposing more and more parking restrictions on HGVs, drivers have less and less access to public facilities whilst away from their family and loved ones."

They added: "To everyone else, if you see a HGV driver, nurse, carer, farmer or anyone else who provides a service to the British people and economy please do one thin which will make their day that much better, say thank you.

"Maybe if enough people start to appreciate these professions, incidents like this, as well as shortages of people wanting to work in the sector, will reduce."

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