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Network Rail attacked over nightly chainsaw noise

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Trees are being cleared behind houses in Chalford Vale

Network Rail is accused of creating "diabolical" noise every night for weeks as it clears trees along a railway track in a Cotswolds valley.

Chainsaws and chipping machines have been running from 0100 until 0500 BST in Chalford Vale since 14 July as "stabilisation work" is carried out.

Network Rail says the work can only be done when trains are not running, for safety reasons.

Resident Keith Mitchell said it was an "absolute nightmare" for the village. "It's unbelievable, it's not just the chainsaws, they are using chippers which shudder - it's diabolical destruction going on 100 yards away," he said. "Last night I had a dream that there were two men coming through the front door with chainsaws - that's how vivid it gets."

Mr Mitchell said residents of the village, near Stroud, had been given just a few days' warning about the work, which started in the middle of July. Since then, they have had just a handful of undisturbed nights. About 30 residents attended a meeting on Saturday.

A spokesman for Network Rail apologised if residents had not had enough notice - and said the "vegetation clearance" section of work, the noisiest element, would be completed on Wednesday night. A further phase of work, including removing eight trees and reinforcing the bank, will be delayed until a later date and would be done after "engagement" with residents, he said.

"It's important work, it's about stabilising the embankment and making sure the railway is safe - but we do get that it's noisy and anti-social work," he said. He added that it was "not feasible" to close sections of the railway every time work was carried out.

A spokesman for Stroud District Council said it was not advised of the work in advance but had sought to resolve the issue by "bringing all parties together".