Moment woman lies down in front of heavy machinery in 1am protest over noisy overnight roadworks in east London street

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:27, 19 August 2026 | Updated: 13:28, 19 August 2026 This is the moment a woman staged a 'weird' protest against noisy overnight roadworks by lying in the road in front of machinery before she was arrested. The unnamed woman was seen lying spread out on a torn-up road surface on Trafalgar Way in the Isle of Dogs, east London, at 1.14am on Sunday, August 16. After demanding the loud roadworks be stopped to 'let people sleep', the 52-year-old was arrested on suspicion of 'breaching the peace' and had to be taken to hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries.    She was videoed, prostrated on her back in her cream coloured dress on the black tarmac, by passerby Farid Qureshi, 45. He told the Daily Mail: 'It was weird. I couldn't speak to her, but she was alone. I'm not sure if she was drunk or going home after a party. 'She was saying that it's too late to be doing this loud work, it's midnight and people are trying to sleep. You can hear her in the video.' Mr Qureshi had been on his way home when he came across the strange scene of the woman on the floor surrounded by at least seven construction vehicles, two police officers and a gaggle of workmen in high vis. He added that the 'machinery was loud', and the engines of the vehicles could be heard chugging away in the east London night. The 57-year-old woman lay in the middle of the torn-up road surface to protest noisy overnight roadworks keeping up locals Officers arrested her on suspicion of disturbing the peace and took her to hospital 'as a precaution' for minor injuries where she was later de-arrested and released without charge Workmen looked on at the 'weird' scene as the cops tried to get her to move The video shows the two cops standing over and talking to the woman, though they look slightly at a loss of what to do as they try to reason with her, while one radios other officers on his walkie-talkie. One of the group of workmen is heard saying 'this is unbelievable' to his colleague as they watch on while others point at the demonstrator spread out in a star shape below. The Daily Mail has contacted Tower Hamlets Council to find out what the roadworks were for, how long they had been ongoing, and if the Council had known of the woman's protest. Mr Qureshi - a journalist for ARY News - said he left after he finished taking his video and that he 'didn't know what happened afterwards.' Police said that they had to arrest the woman to clear the road and then take her to hospital 'as a precaution' to treat minor injuries. It is not clear how she sustained these wounds. Once at the hospital, she was de-arrested as the officers decided 'there were no grounds for her continued detention'. A Met Police spokesperson said: 'On Sunday, 16 August at 01:14hrs, police were called to reports of a woman lying in the road and obstructing traffic on Trafalgar Way, Isle of Dogs. 'Officers attended and spoke to the 52-year-old woman, who stated that she was protesting against ongoing construction noise in the area. 'Despite efforts to engage with her, she remained in the road and was arrested on suspicion of breaching the peace. 'She was taken to hospital as a precaution due to minor injuries. 'Once in hospital, and with the breach of the peace no longer ongoing, there were no grounds for her continued detention and she was subsequently de-arrested. 'Officers spoke with her and gave her a warning. No further action was taken.' The Daily Mail has contacted Heidelberg Materials for a comment.