'We're kept awake at night and can't hear the TV because of a damaged manhole'

A desperate family 'at their wits' end' say passing traffic causes the steel panel to vibrate - and it's damaged their house

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A family say they're being kept awake at night and are at their 'wits' end' because of a damaged manhole cover in front of their home - and the noise is even worse during the day.

High volumes of passing traffic including buses and HGVs on one of Greater Manchester's busiest roads causes the loose steel covering to vibrate, with the Smith family claiming it has caused damage to their end terrace house as a result - and is affecting their mental health.

Freda Smith, 72, said vehicles driving over the manhole cover cause loud noise and vibrations, which the family say shake their home and have caused cracking in the house's brickwork.

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But - until the Manchester Evening News stepped in - they were unable to trace who owns the manhole or who has responsibility for it.

Freda, her husband David, 74, and their son Paul, 44, live on Liverpool Road in Peel Green, Eccles, near the AJ Bell stadium. The couple have lived there for 51 years.

The route links Irlam to Salford, through Barton Moss past Barton Aerodrome, and merges out onto a busy junction of the M60 motorway, which also serves the Trafford Centre and onto Trafford Park.

Freda said: "For months now we have all been kept awake at night, and during the day it is worse. This damaged grid right in front of our home keeps vibrating under the house and damage has been caused to brickwork and the bay window roof. We have been in touch with Salford council, who are not interested.

"We believed it could be Virgin Media, but we drew another blank in trying to contact them. The main road carries very heavy HGV traffic all day from 6am in the morning.

"We are considering instructing our solicitors if this is not repaired. My son has to sleep with ear plugs in all night due to the severe vibration and noise. It's affecting our mental health."

The double manhole covering appears to have been patched up numerous times. It sits on the road, just off the pavement, a couple of yards from the family's garden wall and a dirt track running alongside the house.

Freda said the road was dug up for internet connection many years ago.

She said: "It is one of the busiest roads in Greater Manchester and no one does 30mph past our home. The sound the grid makes when heavy vehicles go over it is terrible. Work that has been done on it in the past has not been to a good quality. It needs to be fixed and properly secured. It just keeps getting loose.

"We sleep at the back but my son sleeps at the front and he's being driven crackers. Lorries come past here all the time - and sometimes you can't hear the television when they go over the grid. It's really loud.

"It has worked itself loose and we are just at our wits' end with it now.

"I am quite a tough person. I do not usually get bothered. But this is beyond a joke. You can feel the vibration when you are sitting down in the front room.

"I am not asking them to re-do all of Liverpool Road - it is just a few hours work. To be truthful I want it gone, but fixing it so it doesn't shake needs to happen."

The M.E.N. was able to confirm it's Virgin Media's issue, and they have now promised to send out engineers.

Councillor Mike McCusker, Salford Council's lead member for planning, transport and sustainable development, said: "This is a Virgin Media defect and it is their responsibility to fix it.

"Salford Council's highways team attended the scene and made the manhole safe on August 10. The same day the council reported the issue to Virgin Media through a Section 81 notice – a requirement from the Department for Transport. This has been accepted and now it is the responsibility of Virgin Media to complete the repair."

After being contacted by the M.E.N., Virgin Media apologised and vowed to sort the situation out for the family.

A spokesperson said: "We apologise to Liverpool Road residents for the noise being caused by the chamber cover.

"We attended the site as soon as the problem was raised by the council to confirm the manhole was safe. We have instructed our engineers to visit the site today - Friday - to assess the situation and have scheduled works to fix the issue next week."