What’s causing the buzz in Laindon (From Basildon Recorder)

What’s causing the buzz in Laindon

10:00am Sunday 15th April 2012 in Echo News By Paul Offord

LAINDON is all abuzz with the mysterious sound of the underground.

Families living in Somercotes, on the Five Links Estate, first heard a low-pitched hum coming from the ground a month ago.

They say they can also feel vibrations under their feet when standing indoors.

Environmental health officers have been asked to investigate the cause of the mystery humming noise that residents say is making their lives a misery.

Steve Thorpe, 56, suspects a pump may have recently been installed beneath a nearby access road, to force drinking water to new homes on the estate. Mr Thorpe, who is a qualified electrical engineer, said: “You can actually feel the humming through the floor. Everyone is complaining about it.

“They’ve built a lot of new homes on Five Links recently, and people have started moving in.

“They all need water and it’s possible one of the water companies could have put in a pump, without telling anyone.

“The road was dug up recently and they were doing some sort of work, which could have been that.

“Whatever the cause, the council needs to find out what is making the noise and put a stop to it. This is not something people living here should have to put up with.”

Mr Thorpe said the noise was loudest between 9pm and midnight, which is particularly upsetting for people trying to sleep.

A council spokesman said: “Environmental health has received a call about this and will be visiting Mr Thorpe on Friday evening."

A spokeswoman for Essex and Suffolk Water added: “We have not done any work in that area for quite some time, but if the gentleman would like to report this problem to us we would be happy to send someone down to investigate.”