Villagers near Chester have complained that noise from a punk music festival has kept them up all weekend.

Those living more than three miles away from the site at Chester Lakes, near Dodleston, said they could hear singing ‘word for word’.

Bands allegedly played long past the midnight curfew for the Dirty Weekend 2015, a three-day ‘100% DIY punk festival’ held from September 4-6.

Laura Aldcroft, from Pulford, said she was likely one of the first houses in line of the noise.

She said: “It’s just been utterly, utterly unacceptable.

“My child was crying and unable to sleep on the Saturday night, she was asking me why the angry man was shouting outside.

“We could hear the screaming and all the obscenities word for word.”

Secret location

Guests were told about the setting of the event only days before, with it sold as a ‘secret location near Chester’.

The eventual site was on the Chester Lakes camping park.

Paul Carter, also from Pulford, said despite being a couple of miles from the festival he had never experienced anything like it.

“We just felt angry and vulnerable, nobody in the village was aware it was taking place beforehand.

“A lot of us have had our double glazing all closed and the sound was still bouncing around the walls.

“It wasn’t just the fact it was extremely loud, it was relentless over the weekend.”

A number of complaints were made to the Chester Lakes Facebook page.

Midnight curfew

A spokeswoman said: “We are looking into the event and holding a review of the complaints received.

“It was certainly not our intention to upset residents or to cause issue.”

The Dirty Weekend website states there is a ‘site-wide curfew for amplified music at midnight each night’.

It also says any profits from the festival go to causes ‘we believe in’.

Bands playing the festival included Violent Arrest, Extinction of Mankind and Warrior Charge.

Laura Aldcroft said the speakers had been turned away from Dodleston village, but this had just impacted others.

She said: “It would start in the afternoon and just get louder and louder as the evening went on.

“When it affects my family and there was no warning it’s just unacceptable.”

A Cheshire West and Chester Council spokesman said: “We have received the complaints and are currently investigating them.”