Specialist monitoring equipment is to be installed in homes along the Tendring coast to check the effect of explosions from a Government firing range, it has been revealed.

QinetiQ, which operates the Defence and Research Agency's base at Shoeburyness, has agreed to the move following a meeting with MPs and residents earlier this year.

About 500,000 residents in Essex and Kent and three MPs are campaigning over the blasts, which they claim shake properties and cause damage.

Harwich MP Ivan Henderson said he was relieved the independent monitoring would now take place.

"The company has agreed to undertake this work using electronic monitoring stations and now we have to come up with the names of residents prepared to take part," he said.

The electronic monitoring stations will be used to collect evidence of noise and vibration.

Lee Brewin, public affairs officer for QinetiQ, said the the equipment was very expensive and the number of locations would be limited.

Published Friday October 18, 2002

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette