A haulage company is on trial to "drastically" cut the din of revving engines and fork-lift trucks, the blare of lorry cab radios and the shouting and swearing of some staff.

Traffic Commissioner Tom MacCartney has given David Waring, joint boss of Joda Freight, of Midland Works, Cross Hills, near Keighley, until August to prove he can bring about the changes.

Mr Waring made an official undertaking at a public inquiry in Haworth that he would enforce the new rules to the best of his ability.

He made his pledge after Mr MacCartney heard how the lives of residents in St Andrew's Terrace, Cross Hills, which backs on to the Joda site, had been made a misery by the noise.

Mr MacCartney said the adjournment until August would give residents a chance to monitor the promised improvements.

The hearing heard how Joda planned to set up a new warehousing and transhipping plant on the Cross Hills industrial site near the Aire Valley trunk road by mid-June.

The present site, where the company has been since the mid -1980s, would be used to maintain its fleet of 48 lorries, with only one fork lift truck, mostly used indoors.

Mr MacCartney said: "There should be a dramatic improvement on the present site and from mid-June there should be an even further dramatic effect on the lives of residents."

Resident, Lynn Cooper, who has lived in St Andrew's Terrace for 26 years, monitored a number of incidents in April.

She said she had been woken in the early hours of the morning by wagons and disturbed by shouting and revving engines.

"The three fork-lift trucks are like dodgems. There's noise, shouting and swearing. I'd like my garden back. I'd like to sit out in it like most people.

"I can't invite people round. If I had people in the garden, we'd be hard pressed to hear each other speak."

Brian Appleby, also of St Andrew's Terrace, said: "We have put up with the noise and stress and it is getting to be a nightmare. We spend a lot of time out in the garden and the sound of the fork- lift trucks drives you up the wall."

Mr Waring, of Old Hall, Glusburn, said he understood that any breaches of the undertaking to the Traffic Commissioner could have an impact on his operating licence.

A maintenance manager was being employed whose role would involve monitoring the new rules. The move to the new site would cut the disturbance to residents by about 95 per cent, he added.