A Swanpool resident has said noise from heavy vehicles is making his life "hell on earth" as they hit potholes on a nearby road at all hours.

Ken Davies, who lives at Golden Bank Park off Swanpool Road, has repeatedly contacted Cornwall Council to ask about fixing the road, but said they "do not want to know."

Ken, whose home sits just yards from the road, said he accepted when he moved that there would be traffic noise, but has complained about the noise of lorries loaded with goods, diggers, tractors and other vehicles hitting the pothole, which is right outside his bedroom window.

He said: "I spoke to Highways and they said it would take them 14 weeks just to talk about it. They said it's not dangerous, but I think it is.

"There's a ditch on the road which they hit, and they are even going up on the bank. For a minor road it's taking a hell of a pounding."

He said he would like an officer from the council to come along at a peak time, when lorries use the road as a rat run, and hear how noisy it is: "We don't get any peace and quiet here when these things come up and down.

He is also concerned about the possibility of extra traffic due to new homebuilding plans. "They're coming down to build 50 more homes," he added, "And it's like hell on earth here now."

"All I'm asking is to fill the potholes in the road."

Some of Ken's neighbours share his views, including Robert Goodwin, who said he would also like to see traffic calming measures added to the road.

He said: "Something needs to be done out there. They are going far too fast, and it's got worse over the years."

Both men have asked for speed bumps to be added to the road, and said they were told by the council's highways department that it couldn't be done as there is no street lighting.

Robert asked why, if this was the case, bumps had been put in the unlit road at Swanpool, and concluded: "Because they're richer down there than we are. We've just got to put up with it, end of."

He added: "Even a decent road surface would make it quieter."

Ken said: "That's all I'm asking, it's not asking a lot. They spent all that money on the roundabout [at Union Corner] surely they can afford to fill some holes in."

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council, which is responsible for more than 4,500 miles of roads, said: "Following the concerns over the condition of Swanpool Road, we have carried out an inspection of the surface to check for any serious defects.

"The surface of this road has been treated within the last 18 months and, while there are minor defects on some parts of the road, none of these fall within the most serious category."

They said finances meant the council had to prioritise spending and target resources at "defects which could affect public safety."

They added that monitoring has shown that traffic using the road is within the 40mph limit, and there had "only" been one injury accident recorded in the past three years, making it "extremely unlikely" that a traffic calming scheme would receive funding.