A FED-UP homeowner has blasted the scheduling of night time works being carried out to improve traffic flow at a busy junction.

Louise Fieldhouse of Bewdley Hill, Kidderminster, is angry at Worcestershire County Council engineers' shift times while they carry out roadworks on the junction of Bewdley Road, Summer Place and Sutton Road.

According to Miss Fieldhouse, workers have been using pneumatic tarmac drills and reversing construction lorries between 7.30pm and 11.30pm, since last night, with works due to continue tonight and tomorrow.

She has no complaints with the decision to install a new right-hand turning lane and traffic lights at the junction of Bewdley Hill and Sutton Road but believes the busy Christmas period was the wrong time to begin work.

She said: "I'm just appalled as this is a residential street with elderly people and families with children.

"I fully support what the workers are doing as I take make the right turn at the Bewdley Hill junction each morning to get to work but at this time of year with Christmas traffic it's caused trouble."

Miss Fieldhouse believes county council traffic chiefs should have opted to shut the road to carry out the improvements after the Christmas and New Year holidays.

She also claims to have received no written notice of works being carried out but said a sign was up on Sutton Road stating activity would continue for three nights, starting yesterday.

The finished improvements are aimed at solving the problem of traffic backing up Bewdley Hill because of drivers waiting to turn right into Sutton Road which prevents vehicles getting into Kidderminster town centre.

Lee Shrimpton, county council spokesman, said County Hall had received complaints about the works but said the timing was designed to fall outside the peak season of West Midland Safari Park, two miles away, which attracts thousands of visitors annually.

He added: "Three residents have contacted us about operating hours and we've explained why we need to get works done between 7.30pm and 11pm during the evenings.

"We've asked workers to be mindful of residents in the area but we are between a rock and a hard place to get the improvements done."

He explained all residents in the area should have been posted leaflets explaining reasons for the works but apologised to anyone who had not received a copy.