A faulty manhole cover which sounds like “gunshots” going off is stopping residents from getting a good night’s sleep.

The drain cover in Willington Street in Maidstone has been making a “large clatter” for over a week and those living nearby say this isn’t the first time it has broken.

Helen Ralph has been living next to the road for the past 15 years and says the constant “donk” all night long as the lorries go over the drain is keeping her up.

She said: “We don’t get a good night sleep because I’m right near the main road and I hear everything.

“I hear every car, every lorry that goes up the road and that drain going donk, donk, donk, all night long, so you can imagine you can’t get to sleep.

“It’s sounds like a gun going off, but it’s not the first time, that drain has been like that before.”

In response, the county council says it is aware of the issue and is speaking to the utility company responsible for its repairs “to ensure the works are carried out”.

But, the 68-year-old, who is retired, says it is the third time this manhole cover has faced issues.

Meanwhile, Paul Evans, who works at Mote Park and also lives with Helen said: “The noise is all the time. I have to get up for work and I can’t be having that noise.”

The pair say they are reluctant to report it to the council because they don’t believe it will improve the situation but say they want road improvements to be prioritised, especially as their council tax has risen.

Helen added: “The roads around here are disgusting; they’ve got great big potholes in them.”

An 18-second video taken of the road on December 20 in the early afternoon captured the noise sounding five times.

Another Willington Street resident on the other side of the road, Michael, says the noisy manhole cover is disturbing his rest as it can be heard from his bedroom.

He said: “It’s a very busy road and a lorry going past will hit that manhole and is making a loud noise.

“It happens at night-time as well with a lot of HGVs coming up and down the road all night and it disrupts your sleep.”

The noise, which he describes as a “large clatter” has been noticed in the last week or so and he says he is “putting up with it”.

He added: “It keeps happening because the repairing is very poor, they obviously haven’t spent enough money doing the job properly.”

This issue has faced others in the borough, in April KentOnline reported the same problem disturbing residents in Lower Stone Street in Maidstone.

Meanwhile, a similar issue was encounter by those living by a Southern Water manhole cover at junction of Factory Road and the High Street, Northfleet in Septemberr.

A spokesperson from Kent County Council said: "KCC is aware of an issue with a utility cover on Willington Street. This is a utility company asset and is their responsibility to make a repair. We are speaking to the company to ensure the works are carried out."