Police seize music-making kit from York flat to silence noise nuisance
People found their sleep was being affected by the noise, and working from home was made more difficult.
Equipment used to play overly loud music day and night has been seized following complaints, repeated warnings and formal notices to the owners.
Complaints about two separate households in two blocks of apartments in the Westfield Ward included the volume and frequency of music. People found their sleep was being affected by the noise, and working from home was made more difficult.
Following advice, warnings and formal notices being issued to the people playing the music, City of York Council applied for warrants from York Magistrates Court. Visiting the flats last week, officers from City of York Council and North Yorkshire Police seized stereos, speakers, TVs and other items ahead of ASB Awareness Week (19-23July).
Working with the victims, council officers gathered evidence of the nuisance they suffered. Officers were told that the noise was so loud they were disturbed night and day unable to work from home during the pandemic, or watch TV in the evening or even sleep in their beds at night.
Noise recording equipment installed over five days provided evidence of nine incidents of serious noise nuisance going on for hours at a time, with the perpetrator listening to TV music channels at full blast.
Councillor Denise Craghill, Executive Member for Safer Communities at City of York Council said:
"This is an example of persistent and excessively loud noise nuisance, which shows a complete disregard for others. It is unacceptable and made worse during the pandemic when many people have had to spend more time at home. Such anti-social activity can seriously impact on people’s wellbeing and I welcome this decisive action ahead of ASB Awareness Week (19-23 July).
“Following repeated advice and warnings being ignored, the council has seized the equipment used to create the nuisance. This has been done to end this anti-social behaviour and to give local residents respite from the stress of not being able to escape unacceptable levels of noise.”
Unreasonable noise can be reported to the council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement Team on 01904 551555 or email neo@york.gov.uk, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm and Friday and Saturday, 9pm in the evening to 3am the following morning.