A mysterious low-pitched sound dubbed the 'Bracknell Hum' has been driving residents mad  - and an engineer is claiming it is caused by his smart meter.

As previously reported, a number of people have spoken out about an irritating noise causing misery for people from Sandhurst to Great Hollands and Martins Herron.

The News has been investigating the issue and this week has spoken to chartered electrical engineer Andrew Brearly who said he has suffered from insomnia and chronic fatigue as a result.

He was so concerned about this noise he went to the doctors where it was discovered during a sonogram that he suffers from "ultrasound hearing".

While not a medically recognised term, it means he is able to perceive sounds of a much higher frequency than would ordinarily be audible using the inner ear.

“Ultrasound hearing” which manifests itself as high-pitched tinnitus due to electrical stimulation, meaning an external cause could be setting off the humming sound for Andrew.

Andrew said: “I had a medical ultrasound scan in December that resulted in hearing high-pitched tones whenever the sonographer put the transducer near my ears, proving that I had that ability of ‘ultrasound hearing’."

Andrew said he believed the issue related to a smart meter he installed two years ago.

He told The News: “I found out about this horrendous problem almost two years ago when I had a new gas and electricity meters fitted. I refrain from saying "smart" as the smart features were physically removed after just seven days.

“My ordeal with five different digital electricity meters ended after 197 days when my supplier finally fitted an old-style electromechanical meter.”

Academic publication the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology has written seven articles on the topic.

Andrew claimed: “My tinnitus is getting worse again, probably as a result of ever-increasing amounts of these errant frequencies of electricity being output by new equipment such as smart meters that do not contain filters to remove them.

“Many of the culprits are if the green variety, so the problem is going to get worse, while the authorities insist the radiation emitted does not cause health problems.”

Councillor Helen Purnell has put out a call to residents to find out how many other people might be affected by the noise.

She said the Public Protection Partnership, who is responsible for environmental issues across the county, were investigating.

The News has contacted the Public Protection Partnership and Environmental Agency for comment.