Earthquakes caused by construction of Gull Wing Bridge in Lowestoft have ‘wrecked homes’, residents say

Furious residents say an 'earthquake' caused by work on a £126m new bridge has wrecked their homes.

They claim building works caused violent earthquake-like vibrations to rip through family homes forcing residents to fork out thousands in repair costs.

Locals in Lowestoft have now slammed builders after construction work on a new road in their seaside town left their walls and beds shaking.

Construction work was being carried out on a new access road for the £126 million pound Gull Wing Bridge which will tower over either bank of Lake Lothing.

The new bridge weighs more than 400 tonnes combined, and measures between 40m and 50m long.

But residents on Waveney Drive say their houses have started falling apart after constant drilling across the road sent 'shockwaves' through their quiet street.

Scott Humphrey, 33, has spent thousands of pounds creating his dream family home after he bought the property in 2015.

Since the building work started he's had to fork out £7,000 in roof repairs which were causing water leaks into his kids bedroom.

Scott said: "When the house was shaking and the vibrations it felt like an earthquake, and it is no exaggeration.

“We had water coming into the kids' bedrooms. I've had to patch up the cracks as I go and spent £7,000 on having the roof fixed.

"We had spent loads of money on the house and trying to settle down as it was and now facing an uphill battle and getting no compensation at all.

"They offered us £300 which was just insulting."

Tracey Dean rents a property on the street but says careless builders have caused her whole house to shake, keeping her awake at night.

The front of her home has been ruined after vibrations from the drilling caused her rendering to crack and ultimately fall off.

She said: "The company has been so ignorant to the damage they are causing to our homes, totally disrespectful and insulting.

“The damage is clear, the houses haven’t randomly started falling apart.

"A crack first appeared when they began drilling across the road and day by day the crack grew and grew before the rendering eventually fell off.

"The amount of sleepless nights I’ve had with the bed shaking, walls shaking, it’s awful.

"I don’t want to be a moaner, but this is our lives, and it’s ridiculous."

A local woman who wished to remain unnamed compared the vibrations caused by heavy machinery to earthquake shockwaves.

The pensioner, who is partially sighted, said her bath was moving so much it made getting out tricky.

The woman said: "When the bed, bath and toilet were shaking it was traumatising. Dust and noise we expected from the development, but the vibrations were terrifying.

“Try getting out a bath when the house is shaking and your vision isn’t very good, I could easily have fallen and hurt myself.

"It was like being at the other end of a shockwave."

Suffolk County Council has reached out to disgruntled locals asking those affected to reach out and log their complaints.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "We take residents’ concerns very seriously, and we are in regular contact with the Gull Wing contractor, Farrans, regarding any claims.

“If a resident believes their property may have been affected by construction works, we encourage them to come forward and contact the project team at info@gullwingbridge.co.uk or telephone 01502 512779.”