Drivers are so 'thick' they need a no-nonsense sign to keep them out of a lane that is so narrow it frequently traps 'White Van Man'.

County council signs are already in place at the entrance to one-way Wood Lane in Kingswear, warning drivers there is a 6ft 6in width restriction on the road.

But so far that has not been enough to stop vehicles – particularly vans – becoming trapped in the road and damaging walls on an almost weekly basis.

On many occasions vans have become so jammed that they have had to be hauled out backwards by a tractor, said Kingswear parish clerk Emma Illingworth.

Now the parish council is looking at how much it would cost to put up its own sign telling drivers to keep out if their vehicles are too wide.

Cllr Mike Trevorrow said: 'There is a 6ft 6in width sign but so many drivers are too thick to take that in. We need a sign saying the width limit is 6ft 6in and we do mean 6ft 6in and no more.'

Now the councillors are looking into how much a council sign would cost before deciding whether they should go ahead with installing one.

Wood Lane is a one-way road linking Higher Contour Road and Lower Contour Road.

Parish council chairman Jonathan Hawkins said after the meeting that vehicles are regularly trapped in the lane – particularly vans following their satellite navigation systems.

'There are plenty of signs and we have done all we possibly can but it seems that White Van Man doesn't listen,' he said.

'They have to get towed out and they cause damage to the walls.'

The problem has been going on now for years and some residents have even called for bollards to be put up at the entrance to the lane.

Parish councillor have so far rejected that move because it would stop emergency vehicles and oil delivery lorries from being able to access the lane.

Mr Trevorrow suggested that if the county council refused to accept a non-regulation sign the council could possible attempt to get permission to put one up on private land at the road entrance.

Ms Illingworth confirmed; 'Unfortunately their sat nav does sometimes direct them down there and vehicles physically get stuck between the walls and a tractor has to pull them out.

'It causes a huge amount of problems.'