The resurfacing of the M3 motorway at Winchester has been brought forward - again - after a nearby primary school lobbied the city’s MP.

Shepherds Down School, in Compton, is adjacent to the busy carriageway and pupils sometimes find it difficult to hear others talking because of traffic noise.

The headteacher asked MP Steve Brine to help speed up the work between junctions 9-14, originally set to be carried out in 2020.

Several months ago the Highways Agency responded to the long-running campaign by announcing the resurfacing would be done in the financial years 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Now the stretch nearest to Shepherds Down School will be completed before the end of the month, with the rest carried out by April.

Shepherds Down headteacher Jane Sansome said she was delighted at the “Christmas present”.

“Noise from the motorway is so difficult for children with autism and hyper sensitive hearing so this is brilliant,” she said.

“It's going to make a huge difference to us, particularly when the children are outside.”

Steve Brine said: “I was pleased we managed to get the work brought forward from 2020 but this is a bonus.

“I am especially pleased for the children and staff at Shepherds Down School who were so instrumental in getting us to this point.

“While resurfacing is not the only source of motorway noise, we know it makes a huge impact which equates to some three decibels of sound difference when compared with the existing surface."