French trucker meets his match with Kate

Audlem young mother Kate Parkes was livid when she was driven off the road by a French truck driver in Audlem village centre. Despite damaging Kate's car, the HGV driver sped on regardless towards Whitchurch. Kate, with her two- year old daughter Cecile woken from her sleep by the collision, was determined to get the driver's details and show him the damage his bullying driving tactics had caused.

She eventually caught him up and persuaded him to stop by blasting her car horn continuously. His response was typically Gallic: "Moi?", he said, albeit understandably being French, with a shrug of his shoulders before denying, in English, he was driving too fast. He did, however, then admit he was in a hurry because he was late for his delivery in Whitchurch. "Sacre Bleu" said Kate, to demonstrate she too was bi-lingual, and obtained the details of trucker Raphael Bourdevin. These are now with her insurance company as the scrape along the side of her family car will be very expensive to repair.

When Kate told her friends of the incident and her reaction, they were full of admiration. "This'll teach him not to mess with Audlem women" was one comment.

Kate says there were about five teenagers in the village centre who saw the incident. She would very much like to hear from them as this will help her insurance claim. She can be contacted on 01270 812880.

The unending problem of the HGV's on the narrow, winding A525 was demonstrated only days later when Kate was again forced off the road at the Sandy Lane junction by another left hand drive foreign truck cutting the corner.

Full details of these incidents will be included in the submission to the Minister of Transport being prepared by the Audlem Parish Plan group seeking de-priming of the A525 in line with last year's questionnaire response.

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