A RESTAURANT boss who annoyed neighbours by being too noisy while extending his business has been ordered to pay out more than £4,500.

Ahmet Ozdemir, owner of Tasty Bites, High Road, Benfleet, was found guilty of breaching the Control of Pollution Act 1974 (COPA), three times, in 2016.

The notice prohibited noisy building works after 6pm Monday to Friday - and after 1pm on a Saturday, with none on Sunday.

Yet residents complained to the council the noise from the extensive refurbishment was disrupting their evenings and weekends.

Castle Point Council has now successfully prosecuted Mr Ozdemir - he was fined £1,153 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and legal costs of £3,340.17. A grand total of £4,608.17.

John Williams, 60, who lives on the High Road, said: They were told not to work after 1pm on Saturday and not at all on Sunday, but they worked until 6.30pm on a Saturday and Sunday mornings! They didn’t give a monkeys what we thought, it was horrendous.

“One Sunday at about 9am they were cutting all the metal up with a grinder, the noise was horrendous, I went down and demanded that they stopped but they just stared blankly at me.

“I was hoping the court would shut them down.

“I wasn’t aware but someone told me a few months ago that all of the residents up here were banned from the restaurant because we were complaining.”

Bill Dick, cabinet member for health and well-being, was delighted with result.

He said: “We will not take the soft option with people who flout the law in our borough and will take legal action where necessary.

“The council will not hesitate to take action against those who ignore working conditions put in place to prevent nuisance and annoyance to residents as a result of building works.

“I don’t blame the neighbours, those are the conditions that were set out in the planning permission and they are there for a reason.

“He will have to adhere now otherwise it will get worse, let’s just hope he pays attention to what they’ve said.”

Michelle Ellis, 45, who lives above the restaurant, said: “It was just ridiculous, the noise and the rubbish outside.

“Not just that but the health and safety aspects as well, they had a bunch of idiots working for them.

“They left tools baring and open fire in the middle of the landing whilst they laid hardcore.

“The work was supposed to start after 8am and finish before 6pm. But they were working until 8, 9 even 10pm sometimes.

“Once, they even turned my water and my electricity off without any warning whatsoever.”

Michelle and her family have had regular visits from the council’s environmental health officers to monitor the noise pollution coming from the restaurant downstairs.