Hauliers call for more lorry parking in Inverness

Hauliers are appealing for a new lorry park in Inverness after a mechanic was killed when his vehicle ploughed into a trailer that was parked in an industrial estate. According to Malcolm Ross, owner of Culloden-based Ross's Garage, which operates 30 HGVs, the Lotland Street lorry park only has a maximum of 20 spaces, so drivers have no choice but to park in lay-bys, the Tesco Extra car park and Longman Industrial Estate.

"There's no lighting and accidents will happen. The council won't invest but spent £250,000 on a New Year's Eve fireworks display last year," he says. Les Houlker, the council's technical manager for Inverness, admits the council was not aware of the severity of the problem until the death of 37-year-old Kevin Mykoliw. Houlker says the situation is not black and white, however: "Inverness is a boom city right now and there are very few brown field sites for investment use."