A12 workers chop down trees at night while people sleep

One sleepless resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said his two-year-old child was kept up late when the works began on the A12 at Stanway.

However, National Highways, which undertook the work, says locals were notified in advance of the work and staff made efforts to minimise disruption.

But the resident, who lives in Darnel Way, Stanway, which backs on to an A12 sliproad, said the manner in which the work was carried out was “unacceptable”.

He said: “It’s unacceptable for anyone to allow this work at those times, with chainsaws going, shredders and every guy on the job shouting to each other.

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“It woke the whole street, including my two-year-old.

“Relatives in London Road said it was loud enough for them to hear it as well and others on Facebook have said how it also woke their kids up as well.

“At 11.30pm with no warning the workers just started up their chainsaws and started cutting at the trees until midnight.

“All this with their shredder going and shouting the whole time with no prior warning sent to us.

“When we report the trees on Darnel Way side which need attending because they overhang so much, they keep damaging the street lights and overhang halfway across my garden, the workers just say nothing is going to be done.”

A spokesman for National Highways said residents had been warned in advance of what the work was to entail.

He explained: “Both the nearside and offside verges for 154 metres have received a three metre swathe cut to prevent overhanging vegetation from obstruction the carriageway and causing a safety hazard for drivers.

“The work formed part of an ongoing scheme in the area which will see improvements made to the safety barriers and signage on the A12. The vegetation clearance work has now been completed.

“Residents were notified in advance of the start of work via letter and we’ve made every effort to minimise disruption as much as possible.”