Residents have reported being unable to sleep due to nightly roadworks in a busy Ipswich road – with works continuing close to midnight.

Crews from CityFibre have been carrying out works in Duke Street this week – with residents told works will be finished before 11pm.

One resident, however, has reported hearing the sounds of pneumatic drills and generators closer to midnight, leaving them unable to get a good night's sleep.

The company is carrying out a large-scale project to improve internet connectivity in the town, which the company says will future-proof Ipswich for the next 50 years – aiming to ensure every home has access to fibre broadband.

It is operating similar projects across the country – including in Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft locally – and aims to create "Gigabit Cities" to provide customers with internet speeds of more than 900Mbps.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Highways said the council requested CityFibre to carry out works in the evenings to provide easy access for those using the nearby Aqua Pharmacy for coronavirus vaccinations.

A CityFibre spokeswoman said the company is looking into the issue of exceeding operating hours.

The spokeswoman said: “We are looking into this issue and always seek to keep construction work within the permitted timeframes.

"As we continue to rollout our £30m full fibre network in Ipswich, we would like to thank residents for their continued patience with our build partners and reassure them we are doing everything we can to minimise disruption.”

The Suffolk Highways spokeswoman added: "During the planning stages of these roadworks, Suffolk County Council requested that CityFibre undertake their works between 6pm and 11pm.

"This is due to the close proximity of a pharmacy vaccination centre and also to minimise disruption to the travelling public along this busy section of road.

"It is disappointing to hear that these works have been carried out past the agreed times and our teams will be raising this with CityFibre and will take action if required."

Speaking last year, CityFibre city manager Charles Kitchin said works across Ipswich are set to finish in 2022.

Work in Duke Street is set to end on Friday night.