Caption: just some of the noise-making equipment seized by Leeds City Council officers during a crack down on noisy neighbours
Noisy neighbours beware – Leeds City Council could be knocking on your door this summer to put an end to the blight of noise nuisance.
The warning to inconsiderate Leeds residents who can’t keep the volume down comes after council officers seized noise-making equipment from a persistent offender whose thumping late night dance music made his neighbours’ lives a misery.
Council Environmental Action Team officers, working together with the police and West North West Homes Leeds, knocked on Christopher Thrush’s front door on Latchmere Drive, West Park, with a warrant to seize noise making equipment from the property – taking away a television, a computer, DVD and CD players, CDs and DVDs, computer game disks, and a 200 watt speaker.
Since he was served with an Abatement Notice on the March 13th last year, three breaches were witnessed by officers from the council’s out-of-hours noise nuisance service.
The raid follows three significant seizures in east Leeds in a single week, with nine full vanloads of equipment taken away. The seizures, which took place at Torre Gardens, Gledhow Place and Alderton Heights, saw stereos, TVs, computers, games consoles, radios, CDs, records, and musical instruments seized.
Offenders can be prosecuted for breaches of noise abatement notices, facing a possible bill of more than £5,000 if convicted. Those who are council house tenants may also be putting their home in jeopardy. The council can also apply to keep the equipment indefinitely and charge for seizing and storing.
Councillor James Monaghan, executive board member for environmental health, said:
“Persistent, late night noise can make people’s lives a misery.
“It is vital, particularly at this time of year when the warm nights mean people leave windows open, that we respect our neighbours and keep the noise down.
“We would encourage people to consider the impact of their actions on their neighbours, but where they persist in causing a nuisance we will take action.
“The seizures over the last few weeks show that we are serious about the problem of nuisance noise.”
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Michael Molcher, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 224 3937
Email: michael.molcher@leeds.gov.uk
