A NEIGHBOUR of Tesco Express on Warrington Road has spoken of her frustration that councillors granted the store an extra hour’s opening time.

Victoria Holden’s home is metres away from the shop and feels her family’s quality of living has been blighted by the store since it opened last month.

Noise, customers parking down their driveway and youths gathering in the car park have left them frustrated and growing increasingly anxious for their safety.

She said: “We can hear every sound – car doors slamming from customers, deliveries from Tesco, the two bakeries and milk from 7am every morning including weekends and bank holidays, customer noise and, more worryingly, groups of youths hanging around after the store closes.

“On Monday, a group of four or five teenagers were playing football at 10.30pm against the back of the store and against the fences – the noise was so loud it was impossible to sleep and we felt too intimidated to go and confront them, especially at that time of night.

“As I was watching them from the bedroom window two of them spotted me and started shouting obscenities and gesturing to me.

“It was incredibly menacing and upsetting and we are getting increasingly worried as to what will happen once the store is open until 11pm.”

Mrs Holden said she feels angry and disappointed that they were not contacted by the council about the extra hour’s opening time.

She added: ”We raised our fears in the past when the store was very first proposed but never had anyone get in touch with us from the council.

“I would like to echo the point Clr Dirir made that the conditions iare being ‘chipped away’ and we are fearful of further applications.”