A PRESTWICH family may have found light at the end of the tunnel after being named as living in the noisiest house in the UK.

It might not be a title to shout about, but the accolade means the Stott family will now benefit from new double glazed windows to help keep out the noise from nearby trams.

As reported in the Guide last month, Gary and Nicky Stott, both aged 34, live in Willow Road with their children Charley (10) and 10-month-old Matthew, just a few yards away from the Metrolink tram line.

Little Matthew's bedroom has been compared to a rowdy nightclub by noise experts and the rattle of the trams often reaches 94 decibels, the equivalent of a pneumatic drill or standing in front of speakers at a rock concert.

He is woken every morning at 5.30am on the dot when the first tram trundles past and as the noise continues every few minutes during the day he finds it difficult to catch up on his sleep.

The conditions, which the family endure all day and late into the night, were analysed in a competition run by the Noise Abatement Society and James Harcourt window company.

And in the week which marks national Noise Action Day (Thursday, May 27), the Stotts' home has been dubbed "the house of pane".

Jason Currall, marketing manager for James Harcourt, said: "The Stott family is suffering the worst case of noise pollution that our nationwide search has identified. They registered the highest level of decibels and at 94 decibels, it's no wonder their lives have been made a misery. This family is working shifts to try and get some sleep and the trams are causing total disruption to the toddler's life."

Mum Nicky, who is a mental health assistant at Prestwich Hospital, said: "I was shocked about the comparison of Matthew's room to a nightclub. It is good news for us to win this competition, but I think it is an embarrassment for Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE).

"Hopefully, the double glazing will help our house become soundproof and if GMPTE upgrade the track, as they keep promising, then the noise levels will become bearable."

A GMPTE spokesman said: "We take any complaints from our customers and neighbours very seriously, but it is fair to say that we receive relatively few comments about noise from trams.

"Metrolink tram services had been running for several years at their current frequency when the Stotts purchased their house and there is no evidence to suggest that track has deteriorated, or that noise levels have worsened, since then.

"That said, we are fully aware that the track along that section of the line is due for upgrade."

He said a new concessionaire was to be appointed and both bidders had agreed to prioritise track upgrades "early in the life of the concession".