SLEEPLESS residents say their village is becoming ‘like the M5’ at night as huge diverted lorries trundle past their homes during a miserable month of motorway night closures.

Villager Nicola Spears is concerned the A38 through Kempsey is becoming a major diversion night route for lorries and cars while work is completed on the M5, and even filmed the disturbance it was causing. However, the Highways Agency says the essential work is being carried out at night to reduce disruption.

Ms Spears said: “The A38 is used as a relief road so close to homes and this is causing misery to residents. It happens all the time. Who will want to move into new homes that are planned with all the traffic misery?”

David Harrison, an independent Malvern Hills district councillor for Kempsey, said: “It’s very noisy during the whole night because the A38 is used as a diversion route. Some repairs have been done to the A38, filling in some of the pot holes to stop some of the noise - but not all of it. It is just the sheer quantity of traffic. The motorway diversion through Kempsey will continue forever and it flares up whenever there is a problem with the M5. It’s all through the night and people along the A38 can’t sleep.”

Cllr Harrison believes it will get worse after plans for 310 new homes in the village were given the go ahead in recent weeks.

He estimates the road is closed at least 12 times a year.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency confirmed that road markings and studs were being replaced on the M5 southbound between junction 7 near Worcester and junction 8 near Tewkesbury from Monday, May 12.

The work, which ends on Thursday, May 22, will be carried out overnight during a full closure of the southbound carriageway between 9.30pm and 5.30am each night with traffic diverted via the A44, A4440, A38 and M50 to rejoin the M5 at junction 8.

He said: “Renewing the road markings and studs will allow road users to clearly identify lane boundaries on the carriageway at all times.

Closing the road will allow the work to be carried out in a much shorter period of time than by keeping the road partially open, minimising the overall disruption.”

Work is also to take place on the northbound carriageway, also resulting in overnight closures between junctions seven and eight for resurfacing which was due to begin last night for two nights from 9pm to 7am. During the work M5 northbound traffic will be diverted through Kempsey via the A38.