COMPLAINTS about the noise of aircraft keeping neighbours awake were came after a shift in the weather, according to Heathrow Airport.

Residents living in the town had been noticing the sound of aeroplane engines louder than usual in recent weeks sparking fears that flightpaths had been changed.

However, the increase in air traffic has been put down to an unusual prevalence of easterly winds directing lower flying arrivals - rather than departures - over Reading.

Katherine Jabbari, of Shinfield Road, said she and her family had been losing sleep due to the noise of planes.

She said: "We first noticed around late August. So far it seems to be everyday.

"I don't think we are particularly light sleepers and we have been in the area for years but it keeps waking us up.

"I have four children so I am used to being up in the night but I don't ever remember hearing anything like this before.

"I thought they had been changing the flightpaths."

A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said there have been no flightpath changes since the 1960s but that changes in wind direction can lead neighbours to hearing aircraft louder than usual.

She said: "Easterly operations occur around 30 per cent of the year, with the remaining 70 per cent on westerly operations.

"Heathrow has recently experienced some prolonged spells of easterly operations.

"For example in September, the airport was on easterly operations for 42 per cent of the time and in October we have experienced a long period of consecutive easterly days."

To ensure wind direction does not interfere with flights during take off and landing planes using the route over the town for arrivals as opposed to departures.

For more information about air traffic and how wind directions can affect routes see online at your.heathrow.com/under-the-flight-path-reducing-noise/easterlies-yourheathrow/