Night works along the coast are having a negative impact on business, with one owner claiming losses of around £10,000.

As part of flood defence works at West Bay, a joint initiative between Dorset Council and the Environment Agency, works to construct a new rock groyne offshore on West Beach are being down throughout the night.

This work can only be carried out at low tide, and with a tight deadline of having works completed by the school summer holidays, it also has to be done through the night.

However, the owner of holiday apartments in West Bay has said this is causing a big disruption for guests and people holidaying in the area and therefore severely affecting business.

Tracey Jovanovic, owner of Westpoint Apartments, which overlooks West Beach, said: “We have had nearly £10,000 worth of cancellations and who knows how many people have not booked because of the works.

“The personal time it has taken to contact all the guests when their new timeline was announced was significant. We have been left bad reviews, even though the guests knew the night works were happening. We did have a very happy five-year-old stay - he loved diggers.

“Some nights the building shakes so hard it feels like an earthquake. My eldest has been doing his A levels, so that’s deeply concerning.

“Remarkably, we’ve become quite accustomed to the broken sleep rattling and we do all look a bit brighter and bushy tailed when they don’t work at night.

“The construction people who are onsite are lovely and have been really helpful when we’ve had deliveries and super supportive of our new café.”

Dorset Council has apologised for the disruption caused.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council portfolio holder for environment, highways and transport, said: “Please bear with us, we apologise for the disruption.

“The work on the new sea groyne at West Beach is on a tight schedule as we want to complete the works before the school summer holidays.

“The lower part of the groyne is submerged by the sea, so work has to be carried out at low tide, which means some night working. The works cannot be carried out during the winter due to storms and rough seas.

“The new defences are vital to better protect 148 homes and 112 businesses from flooding, as those who remember the coastal flooding in 2014 will know.

“I would like to apologise for the disruption and thank the community for bearing with us.”

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency wants to remind people of the importance of the work.

They said: “We have been fortunate in obtaining the £9million funding needed and must take advantage of it now, otherwise it might not be available in the future.

“The works are vital to the continuing safety of West bay, without these improved defences, it is highly likely that the community would suffer serious flooding in the future. This would cause serious risk to life, property, infrastructure and the continuing viability of the community.

“Weather and sea conditions are too unpredictable and dangerous for safe working on the beaches, other thank during the period April through October. We have agreed not to work through the peak tourist season of mid-July through August.

“The works at West Beach comprise construction of a new rock groyne offshore. This work can only be carried out for two to three hours either side of each low tide - this of course makes it unavoidable that some of the work must be carried out at night.

“Our contractor is making every practical effort to keep the noise down, for example by switching off reversing bleepers on heavy plant, but for the safety of the workforce must, for instance, continue use of some flashing beacons mounted to the plant.

“The construction working under water can itself be unpredictable and the effects of this, plus weather uncertainties, means we cannot guarantee the works at West beach will be completed by the summer break of mid-July, if so, we will plan to complete the works after August, unless from local consultations there is agreement to a July extension.”