CONSTANT banging in the usually peaceful village of Hook End drove residents to distraction after a farmer's bird-scarer went on the blink.
"It's like a war zone", "it's like living on the outskirts of Beirut", "cannons" and "gun fire" were just some of the comments from angry villagers after the gas-powered device malfunctioned near Hay Green Lane, causing a relentless two-day torrent of loud bangs.
Farmers say that bird-scarers are essential to keep pigeons at bay to ensure that sufficient crops are produced to feed the nation.
Indeed, the poor weather of the past few months has apparently led to a battle between pigeons and slugs, both of whom are racing to snack on rape seed due to the birds' usual diet of berries and acorns being in scarce supply.
On February 9 and 10, however, residents claim the bird-scarer went off every few minutes from dawn until dusk.
Retired mother of three, Margaret Jarvis, 63, from Hay Green Lane, lives in close proximity to the bird-scarer.
She is unhappy that the equipment has to be used so close to homes.
"It's a major health hazard, it could have driven someone completely mad," she said.
"I can now tell what it's like during a war because that's what it's like here, I know it sounds like I'm being melodramatic but that's what it's like, it's unbelievable.
Mrs Jarvis said she understands that farmers are trying to make a living in tough conditions, but believes that using a bird-scarer near homes is not the way to do it.
She added: "They should be banned because they do something to you psychologically.
"It's not anything you can explain, they just do something to your head.
"It makes you feel that you want to get out of your own house."
Although the deterrent device has been used for many years, residents say the noises got out of control on February 9 and 10.
On February 11, Mrs Jarvis reported the problem to Environmental Health at Brentwood Borough Council and the noise stopped after a visit from the department two days later.
Arthritis sufferer Linda De Rosa, 66, who has lived in Hook End for 20 years, is hoping that the scarers will not be disrupting her afternoon sleep any more.
"I'm not in particularly good health, neither is my husband, and I do not sleep well at night, tossing and turning," she said.
"I need to try to catch up with some sleep in the afternoon and because of the constant noise that's been impossible."
Blackmore resident Margaret Thompson said she could hear the bangs from her home at The Green.
"It felt like I was living on the outskirts of Beirut," she said.
"We get guns occasionally because they're shooting the pheasants but I do not expect this."
Alice Padfield, the daughter of Chris Padfield, who owns the farm on which the bird-scarer is positioned, said such equipment has been used for "generations."
She said the device had developed a fault, before adding: "I would like to apologise – we were not aware and as soon as we were made aware we removed it.
"We do not want to upset residents, that's the last thing we want to do."
A spokesman for Brentwood Borough Council said: "The council took up complaints made by residents in Hook End that a bird-scarer was causing them disturbance, including at the weekend.
"We discussed the matter with the farmer involved and we now understand that the use of this device has stopped."
