Sleep-deprived Moray residents say their lives have been made a misery by a clanking manhole cover.
People living beside the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road through Elgin claim that the ear-splitting metallic sound regularly disturbs their sleep.
Heavy good vehicles commonly thunder across the spot in the early hours of the morning.
Faced with mounting complaints, Scottish Water yesterday announced that it was arranging plans to fix the cover.
But Wittet Drive residents remain furious that it took the body months to pencil in the repairs.
Eric Murray, who lives nearest to the cover, explained that the object had “sunk” into the road over the past few years.
Mr Murray added: “That means that when heavy traffic passes over it, the wheels thump into the depression in the road.
“It is a route frequently used by lorries, and the vibrations through the house are terrible.
“My family is woken up all the time by the noise, the vibrations make wardrobe doors rattle.”
Elgin City South councillor, Graham Leadbitter, has become inundated with complaints from bleary-eyed residents.
He said: “This has been raised repeatedly with Scottish Water and their response has been far from acceptable.
“The issue was first raised many months ago and despite Scottish Water acknowledging the need for repair it has never been carried out.
“There are a number of inherent risks here.
“It could become dislodged at some point, causing the cover to be thrown to the side or it could leave a significant hole in the road if it was lifted.”
A Scottish Water spokesman last night stressed that delays in arranging the work were due to having to close the road.
He said: “The repair was initially due to be carried out on July 20 by Scottish Water contractors Kier, but due to health and safety issues that were identified by the team attending this had to be postponed.
“The work will now take place on August 3, in the evening to minimise disruption to traffic while the repair is carried out.
“While work is underway, three-way traffic lights will be in place, and a convoy system will be in operation.”
