A MYSTERY has been solved after a councillor traced the source of a noise plaguing Witham residents at night.

The low humming noise was coming from the Anglian Water treatment plant in Blackwater Lane, Witham, and had been bothering people in the town for more than a year.

Angela Kilmartin said she put pressure on the company to call in acoustic experts.

She said: “The length of time of the complaints should surely tell someone that this is not a flash in the pan.

“We can’t have a lot of citizens of Witham, or anywhere else, suffering from the effects of an industrial unit.”

Pitt Avenue resident John Day asked Mrs Kilmartin to look into the noise, which became worse at night when the A12 noise died down.

He presented the councillor with flowers at a Witham Town Council and said: “The last year me and my wife have endured hell.

“You could put your fingers on the window and feel the vibrations in the frames. We had acoustic glass fitted, which I can’t afford.  I filled up my air vents and brickwork.

“I was being woken up at 1am, I was on sleeping tablets. In the end I found a councillor, she got on to Anglian Water and she was like a dog with a bone.”

Last month, the firm called in noise reduction firm Wakefield Acoustics and the noise has now stopped.

Residents had reported hearing the noise in Humber Road, Holst Avenue, Church Street, Calamint Road, Hawkes Road, Purcell Road, Blackwater Lane and Laurence Avenue.

Mrs Kilmartin told the meeting: “Mr Day is not the only one who has been concerned about this. He has been banging his head against brick wall coverups.

"Anglian Water constantly reiterate that they are neighbourhood-friendly – at last they are.”

Sarah Dobson, of Anglian Water, said: “We are pleased there has been a reduction in noise disturbance.

“No changes have been made to the site. However, we continue to check, service and clean certain equipment over and above its usual maintenance schedule to ensure it is working optimally and not generating additional noises during the night.

“Our sound-deadening barriers remain in place as a precaution.

“We would like to reassure customers we are taking it seriously and will do all we can to address any issues identified from our investigations.”

A Braintree Council spokesman said: “We’ve been in contact with the complainant and visited the area at different times of the day and night, but we have been unable to identify a statutory noise nuisance at their property.

“Throughout this time, we have liaised with Anglian Water to encourage them to monitor the situation and make appropriate improvements where possible.

"We will continue to work with them as necessary to improve the environment for nearby residents.”