HIS adventures have delighted children for decades - but not everyone is such a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine.

Residents of a North-East street found the noise of the friendly-faced steam locomotive too much to bear at the weekend.

Hundreds of children and parents enjoyed a ride on Thomas when he visited Darlington Railway Museum.

But residents of Brook Terrace claim the constant sound of his horn and a whistle signalling his presence drove them to distraction.

Taxi driver Gavin Ellis, 42, said he hardly got any sleep after a long night shift.

"I don't mind a train chuffing up and down," he said. "But what happens is they go way overboard having it whistling all the time.

"They were honking the horn constantly. I have spoken to people half-a-mile away who could hear it."

Neighbour Mark Pratt said: "There are quite a few people who work night shifts and when the horn blows it is really loud."

Residents have complained about the noise to Darlington Borough Council.

A spokesman for the authority said the whistle and horn were used for safety reasons. But he said residents would be notified in future when an event was planned.

"If the whistle was going a lot, it goes to show how many people were using it and enjoying it," he said.