A 'MINI-EARTHQUAKE' is how Weymouth residents have described building work near their homes.

They claim vibrations caused by heavy machinery has shaken their properties in Wedgewood Road.

Homeowners said they have experienced shaking doorframes, objects falling off shelves and cracks in ceilings.

Simon Muldoon, of Wedgewood Road, said: "It's a nightmare. This morning my house was shaking like a mini-earthquake."

Ian Cox, who lives in Wedgewood Road with wife Alison, has also protested about the building work on the former college site off Newstead Road.

He said: "The issue arises because they are pile-driving concrete posts to build foundations and making our properties shake so much things are falling off shelves.

"They only measured the effect on our houses at ground level and it is the second floor that shakes the most. They're taking the Mickey out of us who live here."

Mrs Cox added: "There has been banging, thudding and shaking.

"We have been talking to residents and they're all unhappy, so we decided to join together."

Builders stopped work for three hours on Monday when residents contacted the council's environmental health department.

But work resumed after the noise and vibrations were found to be within legal limits.

Environmental health manager for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council Tony Beeson said: "We have made an assessment and do not believe it is causing a statutory nuisance.

"Noise and vibration can be considered a statutory nuisance if it goes on for an extended length of time or at unreasonable hours but this operation is between eight and four and for a short duration.

"We understand that it is due to finish at any time, probably within a day-and-a-half."

Managing director of developers Brook Vale Homes Mark Hanns said that builders had to use pile-drivers because the foundations were too deep to use drills.

Developers posted letters through the residents' doors to say work was commencing.

Piling contractors took meter readings to assess the problem after complaints.

Mr Hanns said: "The meter reading goes from one to 10, with 10 being really bad.

"We had readings of 0.675 and 0.875 which is negligible.

"You have to take the readings from the ground level because that's where the vibrations are coming through.

"The vibrations will oscillate through the houses' timber structure and affect the second floor but it feels a lot worse than it is."

Ward councillor David Harris said that the machine measuring vibrations suggested the problem was within limits.

He added: "That doesn't prove that damage can't have been done because vibrations are very localised but the authorities have all been involved so there will be a clear route to compensation if any damage has been done."