Residents say they are being “tortured” and kept awake all night by thundering lorries and noisy roadworks.

The £6.9 million scheme, unveiled by Kent County Council (KCC) in February 2017, aims to improve the A206 St Clements Way between Dartford and Greenhithe.

However, as lorries moved in to carry out resurfacing work last week, residents have complained about loud drilling throughout the night.

Linda Dyer, 64, of King Edward Road, says she has been left “terrified” by the noise, which started at the London Road/St Clements Way roundabout last Thursday.

She said: “The road they are drilling is only a few feet from my front door.

“I can see and hear my house vibrating, it’s nerve-racking.

“The work starts at about 10pm, and carries on until six in the morning.”

Daniella Fanelli, of London Road, described the noise as “unbearable”, and has been left frustrated by the parking restrictions imposed as part of the project.

The 27-year-old said: “I had an agreement with our public liaison officer, Carole Jones, and the site manager, Matt, that my 82-year-old grandad, who has a walking disability, would be allowed to park outside the front of his house for a little while each day.

“He did that on Monday morning and came back out to a parking ticket, despite being in a disabled bay with his badge on display.

“We have had hardly any sleep for almost a week now, and I have a two-year-old daughter who is petrified of the sounds.

“I have no idea who overlooked and signed off on these night works, but they have no respect for any of the residents in this street or any surrounding areas.”

A spokesman for KCC said: "KCC appreciates the impact that night works have on residents and for that we can only apologise.

"Every effort will be made to keep noise to a minimum.

"Unfortunately the work has to be carried out at night for the safety of both the public and the workforce, and to ensure the road is kept open throughout the day.

"The permanent acoustic barrier was installed along the road in January to help mitigate the impact of the surfacing work.

"Where practical, the noisier operations will be carried out during the earlier part of the evening.

"To help mitigate noise impacts, works may also commence earlier in the evening under lane closures if they can be carried out safely.

"Anyone with queries about the project can contact public liaison officer Carole Jones at CJones@jackson-civils.co.uk, call 07811 157861 or visit the site office on King Edward Road."

The night works are set to finish on Sunday.