Video shows angry residents protesting after a council tried to complete a controversial low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) - at 3am.

Police and council contractors were spotted in the early hours of Thursday morning as a bus gate in Barton Hill, Bris. was installed.

The bus gate, part of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial scheme, is now on Avonvale Road and Pilemarsh.

At around 3am, a small group of women lay down on Marsh Lane to prevent contractors painting the road and installing another bus gate outside Barton House.

The traffic project has been designed to reduce rat running and promote active travel in St George, Redfield and Barton Hill in Bristol.

But campaigners states that the scheme has 'gridlocked the area, creating unsafe roads and increased pollution'.

One man called the move to install the bus gate before sunrise "sneaky"."

He said: "I had a feeling they'd do that at nighttime. It will cause chaos."

Several of the protesters who lay down on Marsh Lane are currently fasting because it is Ramadan and were unable to have their Suhoor pre-dawn meal.

Another protester said that no legal notice had been given that the roads would be closed in order to install the bus gates.

Fadumo Farah, who lives in Barton House, said that she left her home before 4am after being notified about what was happening via a WhatsApp group.

She said: "The police officers told me they were here to keep the peace but it looks like they were assisting."

"We were only four women and one man. We were peacefully protesting and there were around 50 police officers…"

"They said we would get arrested and we were breaking the law for protesting on the road."

As protesters filmed police officers, one officer filmed the protesters.

When contractors divided themselves to work on different sections of the infrastructure including on Marsh Lane and Avonvale Road, protesters also split up.

Infrastructure was also installed before dawn on Victoria Avenue.

Farah added: "My position is supporting the community. As soon as I saw so many police officers, that was really disappointing because there were only a few of us…"

"I have seen so many women broken and crying. We missed our special meal with our family this morning and now we are fasting…"

"I asked them to bring us water or something but they refused to do that."

Protestor Melissa Topping said they had been 'tipped off' last night that the contractors were coming at 3am.

She said: "We set alarms and planned to go out if we got a call, the phone started going crazy at around 4am so I scooted out, knowing they were doing them all but once I headed to the one that was going to block my access. "

"There were security and police arrived. There were too many for us to stop them, one of our other campaign members arrived and we were pleading with them not to continue but they carried on regardless. With 3 disabled women in tears. We then went to help the people on Marsh lane."

She added: "We now live in an undemocratic society. Where the majority doesn't matter and disabled matter even less. All are completely ignored and bypassed."

"With the two Facebook groups it can clearly be seen we have over 3k against this scheme. The pro group has 610. Petition we have 5788 signatures. They got 74 then closed it. Even the consultation showed 790 against and 427 for the scheme? It shouldn't have gone beyond that? It's all beyond belief that they can do this to residents, businesses and workers and nobody is accountable."

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee at Bristol City Council, said: "Contractors attended six sites in East Bristol this morning to install the infrastructure required for the Liveable Neighbourhood trial. "

"Officers from Avon and Somerset Police were on site to support the installation of the measures and facilitate any peaceful protest encountered. Five of the six modal filter sites have now been completed. "

"The bus gates on Avonvale Road and Pilemarsh that have been installed are not currently live. We will give notice of when they are going to be in use and the large electronic signs will indicate whether they are operational. When the bus gates do go live there will be a period of ‘soft' enforcement, when drivers will receive a letter in the post the first time they are detected contravening one of the bus gates, rather than receiving a fine. "

"We recently announced a range of travel offers and bus gate exemptions to give extra support to households within the trial area. Further updates on the progress of beginning the trial will be shared with residents in due course."