by Joe Coshan

A couple from Aylesford say their lives have been made a living hell after a huge industrial drill has been installed just inches from their home.

Jo and David Chitty of Station Road, moved in 18 months ago, but were not told about plans to widen the M20 that neighbours their home.

Jo, 75, said: “We keep asking ourselves why the hell did we move here from our lovely little cottage in Seal in Sevenoaks?

“We thought we were doing the right thing, but if we could turn the clocks back, we would.”

WATCH: 'Why did we move here'?

The pair say they weren’t bothered about the constant hum from the traffic and the panoramic view of the M20 they have now, was previously protected by a line of trees.

“We were sent a letter saying they were going to prune the trees because they were costing £71million to collect, so I thought that’s sensible,” David said.

“The next day all the trees were all chopped down and they said they made a mistake, then they had to dig them all out.”

For the past three months, the couple have been woken up in the middle of the night by the sounds of drilling.

Jo, added: “It kept happening until my son, who came to stay with us because his father was sick, went out at three o’clock in the morning to tell them to stop.”

“Once they start the drill up it’s so loud - bang, crash, wallop - it’s constant and it makes the house shake."- David Chitty

The workmen respected their wishes and only carry out their duties during the day, but it’s made their garden unusable.

David, a retired tradesman, added: “You can’t sit out there anymore and we can’t invite friends over, it’s not possible.

“Once they start the drill up it’s so loud - bang, crash, wallop - it’s constant and it makes the house shake."

Highways England hand delivered letters to residents before the work was carried out to apologise for the noise.

“The noise is just one thing, but the dirt and dust from the drills have made our windows disgustingly dirty,” Jo added.

“They don’t know how it’s affected our lives, they could offer to at least clean our windows once a month or even just move their equipment down the road at the end of the day so it’s not an eye-sore for us.”

A Highways England spokesperson said: "We are working very hard to be a good neighbour while we deliver this upgrade for the M20, and we are very sorry to hear these concerns from residents in and around Aylesford.

"We would be more than happy to meet with Mr and Mrs Chitty and to take the time to understand and address their concerns.

"While some disruption from living near a major construction site is inevitable we are trying our very best to do things that will make a difference.

"We appreciate the patience of all our neighbours and the piling works were completed yesterday so we will be moving the machinery over the next couple of days."