A GIANT advertising board boasting of a supermarket's commitment to social responsibility is blocking out the sun from nearby neighbours' living rooms.

Cut-price supermarket chain Lidl is currently constructing a store in Cartersfield Road, Waltham Abbey, and has erected a huge advertising board nearby.

But resident Kevin Raby, 50, of Sewardstone Road, said the view from his window is now dominated by the board.

He said: “The work started about a month ago. Now they've put this whacking great sign up so the only thing I can see is this sign.

“I walk outside my front door and that's what I'm confronted with. It even blocks the sun going into my lounge.

“My neighbours aren't very impressed by it either. We've all written in to complain. It's just an eyesore.”

The supermarket's sign reads: “At Lidl we strive to improve our environmental impact and take our social responsibility very seriously”.

But Mr Raby said the chain wasn't taking its responsibilities seriously enough and his property was frequently affected by dust from the construction site.

He said: “My clothes are always covered in dust, my car is always covered in dust. I didn't object to the site -at the end of the day it's on an industrial area- but this sign and all this dust is ridiculous. I don't think I'll shop there. We are not impressed by them.”

Epping Forest District Council has now told Lidl to remove the sign.

A council spokeswoman said: “The display requires Express Consent from the District Council and no such consent has been given. Indeed, none was applied for."

A spokesman for Lidl said: "The sign is intended to be in place for a temporary period of time during construction as a source of information. However, after discussions with the council and in light of comments from local residents we will now have the sign removed by 21st November.

"Lidl and our contractors strive to maintain good relationships with our neighbours during the construction process. We always endeavour to minimise disruption to neighbouring properties, however given the nature of construction sites some disturbance is, unfortunately, unavoidable.

"Lidl apologise for any inconvenience caused and, in conjunction with our contractors, will continue to monitor the situation on site in order to minimise any further disruption."