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Rye Town Council has met with highways department experts but has so far failed to agree a solution to the ongoing problem.

East Sussex County Council’s highways department drew up a scheme involving providing ten signs around the town warning drivers.

But many councillors thought the £13,275 cost was too high and that the signs would not necessarily deter determined drivers or those using satellite navigation systems.

The latest incident, last month, saw the town cut off for an afternoon after a huge continental lorry got stuck under the arch and then broke down while reversing back onto Tower Street.

Now Rye Town Council is having discussions with other organisations in the town including Rye Chamber of Commerce, the Hotels and Caterers Association, Rye Conservation Society and Rye and District Community Transport in a bid to find a solution.

John Bragge, who owns an antiques shop opposite the Arch, has been campaigning for months to get action taken and has even offered to have a prominent warning sign attached to his premises.

Cllr Paul Osborne said: “The crux of the problem is that drivers are failing to take notice of road signs and blindly following sat nav instructions.”

Cllr Bernardine Fiddimore believes there is a wider issue of large vehicles trying to access the High Street and mounting pavements, damaging them and causing a hazard for pedestrians.

The Town Council has been considering the problem with the Arch for for a couple of years now.

Resident Jutta Lorent expressed concern over the time taken to find a solution.

The historic landmark has been damaged on a number of occasions by large foreign HGVs, and more recently coaches, trying to squeeze through its narrow gap.

Mr Bragge still has a large piece of stone from the damaged arch in his shop, which he says has yet to be collected by anyone.

He said: “I would be happy for them to attach a new sign to my shop on a bracket if it helps to protect the arch.”