Villagers claim country lanes near their homes are being turned into rat-runs for articulated lorries.

Families in Copsale, near Horsham, are fighting proposals to turn nearby Ghyll House Farm into a lorry depot.

They said they counted 28 lorries passing their homes in under three hours and claimed horse-riders and children on bikes were now scared to go out.

Grahame Morris, who lives 500 yards from the farm in Broadwater Lane, said: "The full force of two juggernauts trying to get past one another on a country lane is frightening."

Managers of the 500-acre farm were granted a licence to run a small haulage operation two years ago.

However, a retrospective planning application has now been placed with Horsham District Council to turn parts of the farm into a lorry depot.

Another neighbour said: "None of us knew a licence had been granted until a few months ago but now we've got 13 or 14 companies based there using eight-wheeled, 30-tonne aggregate lorries, 40ft container lorries and all sorts. They start at 7am and sometimes it goes on all week.

"This is an absolute nightmare and the roads are getting in a terrible state.

"A group of us have now banded together because we've just had enough."

Campaigners have distributed 300 leaflets in the area, urging villagers to fight the applications.

About 40 residents have already written to councillors complaining about the farm.

Duncan England, chairman of Nuthurst Parish Council, said: "We are supporting the residents in this, the main bugbear being the traffic and the state of the roads around the site they're in a dire and dangerous situation.

"They're trying to turn it into a mini industrial estate but this type of development needs good road access.

"A leafy hamlet like Copsale is just not the place for it.

"We're hoping Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council will support us in this before it's too late."

Horsham District Council said it was investigating possible breaches of planning regulations on the site already and that an application for a goods vehicle operator's licence had recently been withdrawn.

The applications for a lorry depot, a garage and portable buildings are still being considered.

Managers at Ghyll House Farm were unavailable for comment.