People living next to the M20 say they can't open their windows during the hot weather because noise from the motorway is unbearable.

Residents in Willesborough, Ashford, say they are in a Catch 22 situation - they are either kept awake by the traffic or forced to bake in the heat.

Highways Agency acoustic engineers this week came to test noise levels for those living just yards away from the motorway.

Householder Linda Lall said: “We can’t sleep with the windows open because of the noise but if we shut them it’s too hot.”

Residents are calling for acoustic fencing to be put up to help shield them from the noise.

Figures from the Highways Agency show that traffic flows have crept up between Junctions 9 and 10 by just over five per cent over three years.

The agency is awaiting the results of the noise tests.

For full story, see Thursday's Kentish Express.