Residents in the East End of the Island have claimed they are being driven to distraction by noisy vehicles working on the new runway at Bermuda International Airport.

While one resident said it was the docks in St. George's, where the gravel is being delivered and collected by trucks, that was causing him to get irate, another said he was kept awake at night by the constant beeping of the vehicles actually carrying out the work at the airport.

Paul Clinton, of Wellington Street, St. George's, said he believed the docks in St. George's, which are close to his home, were zoned for commercial use only, but were being used for an industrial purpose.

He said that aside, people living in the area had been wholly disrupted during the last couple of weeks by the loading and unloading of the gravel from early in the morning until after midnight each day.

Mr. Clinton, a sculptor, said: "This operation is on 24 hours a day.

"We are talking about a noise that is completely deafening. My house is 75 feet away from the operation and it's all I hear all day, from 6.30 in the morning until 11.30 at night, and even later.

"The biggest problem I have is that the trucks are constantly beeping. I feel they must be able to turn them off.

"I can put up with the rest of the noise, but the beeping of the trucks is torture."

Mr. Clinton said he realised the new runway was necessary for Bermuda, but felt many people in the area would welcome the beeping safety mechanism on the trucks being turned off.

He said he was waiting for a heart transplant and found the disruption and noise unhelpful to his condition, besides annoying.

And Peter Lever, of St. David's Road, St. David's, said he suffered the same problem from where he lived across the water, near to the airport.

He said workmen started to relay the new runway at about 11 p.m. each day, after the last flight had arrived, working through the night, and until the early morning flight was ready to leave.

"The awful, awful safety beepers on the trucks are keeping us awake, and we are well over half a mile away from where the work is being done," said Mr. Lever.

"This is after 11 p.m. and right through the night. It's quite dramatic, and so loud and intense.

"I can understand why they have to do it at that time, and I understand the workers have safety rules to abide by, but I wonder if there is some other way to keep these safety rules without keeping everyone awake with the beeping noise.

"There has to be a different way of doing it."

Last night, Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown, whose ministry is overseeing the new $2 million runway, said he had no idea that residents had been disrupted.

He said the aim was to get the runway built as soon as possible with minimum disruption to flights and passengers.

He said: "We are trying to complete the runway as soon as possible and we are working as late as possible.

"I had no idea. But I will look into (the concerns) tomorrow and see if we can make some arrangements on that particular beeping noise that seems to be the major irritant.

"Unless there is a mechanical issue to make us unable to silence that reverse beep. We will have to look into issues of liability, worker safety and, of course, quiet for the citizens."

Senator Kim Swan, who lives in the East End and is a United Bermuda Party candidate for the forthcoming General Election, said: "Noise pollution is a concern I'm hearing on the doorsteps. I think most East Enders have become accustomed to the airport and appreciate the value it brings to our economy as a whole.

"I have had a complaint about the gravel ship being in and the noise that it's making. I would say, with all due respect to the residents, they are pretty tolerant, but noise pollution is an issue because St. George's is noted as being a tranquil place."