A MOTHER is furious after the “horrific” noise from late-night roadworks kept her awake until 2.30am.

Beatrice Attala is calling on Southern Water to review the way it warns people when work is being carried out.

Southern Water has apologised for the disruption caused.

Ms Attala, 43, of Old Shoreham Road, Portslade, said she and her daughter Isabella, 12, had been held hostage in their own home by the noise.

She said: “They started major, loud works, which included industrial machines and floodlights, right next to my house from 10pm on Thursday to 2.30am the following morning.

“These included disc cutters for the metal pipes, a generator and crew of five to six men chatting and whistling through the night.

“I had to get up for work at 6am and my daughter had to go to school.

“We had hardly any sleep at all and it was a living hell with my daughter and I crying and trying to sleep at 2am.”

Ms Attala said the only indication work was going to happen was a standard letter pushed through the door earlier in the day.

This warned there would be some disruption but it would be kept to a minimum.

She said: “I could not have possibly known the level of noise that would ensue.

“I phoned Southern Water to complain and they got a site manager to speak to me.

“However, then the cutting of the pipes started.

“I have double glazing and it was deafening in the house.

“There was nothing we could do and nowhere we could go as it was so late.

“We were prisoners in our own house.

“Where could we go in the middle of the night once the noise had relentlessly gone on for hours?”

Ms Attala said she was told the work was done overnight because otherwise water supplies would be reduced to a larger number of customers during the day.

She said: “I would totally understand if it was an emergency like a burst main but this wasn’t one.

“I think there needs to be a review of how things like this are done so people who are obviously going to be affected the most are at least fully prepared.”

A Southern Water spokeswoman said: “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers by the work on a water main.

“The work is complete and the road will be reinstated.

“We would like to assure our customers this will be in normal working hours.”