BOURNEMOUTH'S parks manager has apologised after residents were woken up by council staff using chainsaws in the middle of the night.

Teacher Siv Sears, who lives in Pine Tree Glen, Westbourne, went to investigate the noise at midnight on Monday.

"I was incensed," he said.

"I went to the back of the house. There I was shocked to find bright lights shining on the house.

"On the Wessex Way I found three men wielding chainsaws and their supervisor."

Mr Sears asked why local residents had not been informed and was told that signs had been posted on the Wessex Way.

"The law says you can't do any noisy work between 11pm and 7am unless it's an emergency. I'm interested in how the council can justify chainsaws at midnight 15 metres from a residential area," he said.

Andy McDonald, parks manager at the council, said: "We're very sorry that this work disturbed a resident. We do try to keep noisy work to a minimum late at night.

"Some of the trees lining the Wessex Way were considered dangerous and in need of urgent attention. We have to protect our staff and, because of the proximity to a major highway, such work can only be carried out when the road is closed," he added.

"One lane of the Wessex Way is routinely closed between Christchurch and the Frizzell roundabout for three nights every week for essential maintenance work.

"Short of closing the road during the day and incurring added expense and traffic disruption, this was the ideal opportunity for our one-off essential tree work."

Mr McDonald added that it took highway staff four hours to shut the road, starting at 8pm, so midnight was the earliest possible time for the tree work.

"It's regrettable that some residents were not informed.

"We will try to improve notification procedures in the future," he promised.