FURTHER to my letter to the Courier some weeks ago, about the noise coming from Milk Link, in Crediton, that sounds like a low frequency boiling kettle, preceded every hour by a ship's horn sound that is probably a steam escape valve, here is an update.

The Environment agency have been very pro-active on the sound issue and a few weeks ago set up monitoring equipment in my bedroom so that I could record the sound when it was disturbing.

The equipment also picks up frequency, so they can match it to anything on site.

Milk Link also had a team of sound experts monitor the noise from my home and the factory, just before I went away on holiday.

Unfortunately that particular week there was no disturbing sound so they probably drew a blank on the noise.

The only noise that was disturbing were the doors being slammed by the sound monitoring team outside my home in the early hours of the morning!

On my return from my holiday on February 8 I was disappointed to hear the low frequency boiling kettle sound, followed by a ship's horn sound about every hour was still keeping me awake at night.

This time, however, it was louder than ever.

Milk Link had expressed serious concern about my complaint and I had been given telephone numbers of the Milk Link Shift Manager, the on site Environmental Officer and the General Manager's to call should I hear the noise at night.

On my first night back I texed both the shift manager and the environmental office but got no reply and consequently suffered a bad night's sleep, the noise being relentless and without a break.

Last night (February 9) it was exactly the same and as soon as I entered my bedroom the disturbing noise was evident.

I immediately texted all four numbers and eventually got a reply from one of the general managers and the shift manager at the plant.

The shift manager said he would walk around the site and try and identify where the noise was coming from, I asked him what the ship's horn noise was every hour during the night, was it a steam pressure valve?

He said he had never heard any noise like that and could not expand.

The noise continued through the night again, there was no reply from anyone as to what the noise was and they are still trying to identify the source after 12 or so weeks.

I sent a report to the Environment Agency (0800 807060) today (February 10).

Shortly afterward I received a reply from Spence Seaman who is covering the case.

He apologised for the disturbance and said that the results of the monitoring equipment were back and it showed a low frequency sound of 100htz that only a few people can hear, but the noise was continuous, and that it could possibly be a central heating pump.

I explained my central heating goes off at 11pm and comes on again at 6.30am and that the source was definitely outside, as when my neighbour and I were coming back from the Crediton Inn one evening, we heard the noise and he remarked if that was the noise keeping me awake, to which I replied yes, at least someone else has heard it.

If anyone else in Crediton has heard the noises mentioned will they please telephone the environment agency on 0800 807060. It is a free number, and I would really like to know I am not alone in my disturbed nights with this noise.

I can be contacted on 01363776539 should anyone wish to comment or ask me questions on this matter.

Mackenzie Moulton

Blagdon

Crediton