By Juliette MaxamA FATHER and daughter, fed up with the noise from a neighbouring store, have asked a council to take out an anti-social behaviour order against it.

By Juliette Maxam

A FATHER and daughter, fed up with the noise from a neighbouring store, have asked a council to take out an anti-social behaviour order against it.

Tesco Express opened in High Street, Manningtree, at the end of last year and installed a “frog box” without planning permission at the back of the store to house its refrigeration equipment.

Sarah Dyer and Tony McCarthy live in her flat above a shop next door to Tesco Express. They claimed noise from the store's deliveries and machinery was blighting their lives and the value of the flat.

They have appealed for the help from Tendring District Council, which has taken out a noise abatement order against the company, although Tesco has lodged an appeal against it.

Mr McCarthy said: “While this appeal is being dealt with my daughter and I are virtually unable to leave windows open, use the garden and go about our normal daily lives without the intrusion of continual noise.”

Ms Dyer added: “The frog box is the size of a small garage. It hums all day long and enters into our property. It's like warp factor nine.”

Now the pair, frustrated over the time it has been taking to resolve the problem, have asked Tendring District Council to take out an anti social behaviour order against Tesco.

Mr McCarthy said: “We feel that the only route left open to us is to ask Tendring District Council to apply for an anti-social behaviour order against the store.

“It has now been operational for approximately six months and nothing has been done during that time, and we feel that we have now come to the position where we can tolerate this negative impact on our lives no longer.”

Mike Page, council spokesman said Tesco had appealed against a noise abatement order that Tendring District Council had sought to enforce.

“It's a lengthy process and in the meantime we are negotiating with the company to see if we can resolve some of the issues,” he added.

“I'm not sure that we even have the powers and we certainly don't have any plans that would involve an anti-social behaviour order.”

A Tesco spokeswoman said the refrigeration unit had been transferred from the roof to the frog box in an attempt to reduce noise, but it was due to be put back on the roof due because of the enforcement notice.

“We don't set out to inconvenience anybody. If there has been any, then we would apologise for that,” she added.

juliette.maxam@eadt.co.uk