THE peace and quiet of the Good Friday Bank Holiday was shattered in a York cul-de-sac when demolition men moved in to an adjacent site.

Residents woken from a holiday lie-in were none too pleased - particularly as planning permission for the demolition work explicitly ruled out noisy work on Bank Holidays.

Roger Skehan, of Reginald Grove, off Bishopthorpe Road, said the work in completing the demolition of a former nursing home in Bishopthorpe Road had started at 8am yesterday.

Several local residents had been annoyed about the noise. "I'd been looking forward to my lie-in for weeks!

His wife Claire said: "It's a bit much. And are we going to get this on Monday and other Bank Holidays?"

Neighbour Phil Wherrett said that, as well as the noise disturbance, his family have been amazed to see workmen burning refuse on-site, despite council guidelines expressly stating that this is not allowed.

Phil showed the Evening Press a council document outlining the regulations they expected contractors to adhere to. Point 17 states that there should be, "no noise-creating work on Sundays or Bank Holidays". Point 18 continues: "There shall be no burning of materials on site".

Mr Skehan said he had challenged the men, but they refused to stop work.

A spokesman for demolition firm Bradley and Holmes Ltd, of Halifax declined to comment, other than to say that the workmen would be taking not only Easter Monday but also Tuesday off, and would only return to the site on Wednesday.

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