EAST Oxford residents have criticised Thames Water over a month of “noisy” repair work.

People living in Campbell Road said the water firm did not tell them about work to pump sewage from a wrongly connected water pipe.

The firm said it could not confirm who had carried out the original work, taking sewage into a surface water drain. Repair work began in mid-July.

It had been using a lorry to pump out the sewage 24 hours a day, seven days a week, near the public footpath to Florence Park.

On Monday workers found the misconnection at a home in Cowley Road and it is now working to correct the fault.

But work will take up to two more weeks.

Thames Water spokesman Craig Rance said: “I do not know why residents were not told and we are sorry if we have disturbed anyone but it’s important work.

“The misconnection has been found and we will keep customers up to date as we begin work to fix the issue this week.”

Social services worker Ele Crichton, 34, said: “We’ve had no communication from Thames Water at all.

“It’s the disruption of having the truck there with all the fumes and the noise, especially with the hot weather when you need to have your windows open.

“I appreciate that the job is necessary but I wish they would tell us exactly what is going on.”

Shah Khan, a Cowley Labour member on Oxford City Council, said: “Schools will be going back in the next few weeks and if the work is still going on then I’m especially concerned for young kids who walk near there.

“It’s totally unacceptable that Thames Water has not contacted the neighbours – the closest house is only four or five metres away.”

Mavis Hemming, 75, retired, said: “If I didn’t have double-glazing it would be a nightmare.

“It’s not keeping me awake but it’s just uncomfortable knowing it’s there when they have not told us about it.”

But unemployed Matt Copley, 36, said: “It doesn’t really bother me.

“I know other residents are finding it annoying but I sleep through all the noise.”