A supermarket refurb project in Hemel Hempstead is stopping neighbours from sleeping after work on the site reportedly carries on into the early hours.
The Asda store on Hillfield Road is undergoing a refurbishment which is due to be finished in early September, and much of the work at the moment is being carried out after the store closes at 10pm.
Neighbour Joe Norton has lived in Alexandra Road since 1981, and his garden backs onto the store site.
Mr Norton, 76, said: “One night there was some idiot on a forklift truck, zooming about and going ‘beep, beep, beep’ at 10.30pm, then 11.30pm and 12.30am.”
Before the work started, a letter was sent to those living in the surrounding area, assuring them that they would not be disturbed.
Mr Norton said: “I thought: I can’t believe this. They’ve gone to all this trouble of sending a newsletter!”
“Asda is a business and we don’t have a problem with that, but the problem comes when Asda want to do anything to their property.
“We do object to people moving heavy machinery late at night as we leave our windows open, especially in this weather.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “We are constantly looking to improve the shopping experience for our customers in Hemel Hempstead and as part of this the store is undergoing a total revamp.
“We’re trying hard to carry out the work with as little disruption as possible and are sorry to residents who feel that despite our best efforts there is a little more noise than usual. We look forward to unveiling our new look store in early September.”