Video: Mystery 'banging noise' from jetty repairs echoes across north Kent (From News Shopper)

Video: Mystery 'banging noise' from jetty repairs echoes across north Kent

4:12pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News By Alan Woods

A MYSTERY ‘metallic banging noise’ which echoed across north Kent last night was caused by emergency repairs to a jetty in Essex.

Reports say the noise, which became noticeable shortly after 8pm and continued for around an hour, could be heard as far east as Greenhithe and as far west as Crayford.

Dartford Council’s environmental health team confirmed they received 40 calls from confused residents enquiring as to what the unknown sound was.

Others called Kent Police, concerned about where the mystery noise was coming from.

News Shopper can now confirm the sound was caused by emergency repair works to a privately-owned cargo jetty in Purfleet.

A Port of London Authority spokesman said: “The owners were carrying out repair works to a jetty that over-ran.”

It is believed the repairs to the Purfleet Deep Water Wharf, which included loud pile driving, were due to be finished by 6.30pm.

Pile driving is when a mechanical device is used to drive into the soil to provide a foundation for a structure The works are planned to be finished by Sunday but it is not expected they will continue into the evening on any further nights.

Many online users initially pointed the finger at the Port of Tilbury.

It was suggested the noises were a result of pile driving for four 2.3MW wind turbines, which construction work began on in September last year.

However when News Shopper contacted SSE - the company behind the wind turbine project - they said no pile driving took place on their site last night.

A spokesman said: “We can confirm the sound was nothing to do with us.”

The spokesman went on to confirm the pile driving for the turbines was completed in October or November last year.