Ten weeks of noise hell will hit Hounslow from September 10 as essential maintenance works are carried out on the northern runway at Heathrow airport.

The closure will spell the end of daytime runway alternation, meaning planes will be roaring over residents' heads from 6am to 11pm all day, every day.

Hounslow Council slammed BAA, who run Heathrow, for failing to give any information about the works to members of the public.

Heston and Cranford residents stand to bear the brunt of the increase in plane noise, the council said.

But all residents face "two months of planes screeching overhead with no respite," according to Councillor Barbara Reid, the council's lead member for aviation.

She added: "We know the work has to be done but to jump this on people with less than two weeks notice is really unreasonable. I don't think BAA realise what a burden this will put on people."

Cllr Reid said the council were still in talks with BAA Heathrow to see if the works could be completed in less time.

Although the Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee (HACC) was told about the suspension in the spring, Hounslow Council has received no formal notification of the 10-week closure, a spokeswoman said.

The maintenance works are needed in order to re-orientate the taxiways.

For most of the 10-week period, all planes will be forced to land at the northern runway and depart only from the southern runway.

In a statement, BAA Heathrow insisted it had sent a newsletter to 17,000 local homes and had kept the community informed of the project through HACC and the Local Focus Forum.

A spokesman added that BAA were taking all possible steps to shrink down the time taken to complete the maintenance.

John Stewart, chair of HACAN Clearskies, stressed that the 10-week ordeal could be a chilling vision of the future with the Government due to debate the possible end of runway alternation in October.

Hounslow Council encouraged residents to ring the BAA noise complaints hotline on 0800 344 844 or call the council directly on 020 8583 5230 to register their complaints.