Number for Environmental Health - neighbours!!

Errata

What about their neighbours on the other side and those at the back? Are they being bothered as well? Perhaps EHO might take more notice if you all got together and complained.

SkipE

Ok I work in Environmental Health (Im not an EHO though) in my council it doesnt matter if its one person complaining or twenty a stat nuisance is a stat nuisance not matter what time of the day or night. My council offer a 'call out' service which means there is an EHO on duty 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

I agree the process to prosecute or seize noise making equipment is tedious but all necessary. There is a procedure that has to be followed in order to prove the case and seal the deal if it comes to court. Usually its a log pack or diary for two weeks and then an assigned officer and on the call out list. This way when the noise starts no matter what time of day or night someone comes out and witnesses it so you dont have to testify in court the officers do that for you as its them who witnessed the distrubance. Once its all been witnessed and abatement notice gets served on the noise makers. Once that is breached prosecution or seizure can take place.

The problem is people put up with the disturbances for so long before they make the first complaint that they expect things to be dealt with immediately! I do totally understand how upsetting it is, hubby and I have been there. You dont have to tollerate it just hassle the EHO and make them work for you!

Paparika

Make a diary of all the times they are being a nuisance, this is very important, start with what happened that night you posted on here, Its not fair and not funny, some people like to sleep at night.

My problem at the mo is my downstairs neighbours always smoke grass and mostly out the window and my living room stinks of it, council say ohh tell us who it is, you tell them but it still happens

MsChazzer

We have a noise patrol call out service here in Edinburgh, I'm shocked that not all areas have this, they are a great service, very sympathetic and the police automatically come out instead when the noise patrol officers go off duty. They were great when we had problems but ultimately we just moved, easily done as we rent.

Good luck with getting it sorted, sounds like you are having an awful time.

Sharra

Surely though this is Anti-social behaviour and as such a criminal offence? I know that local to me this is dealt with by Public Safety UNit which is jointly run by the police and our city council.

Pssst

zoeleigh wrote: »

I've got out of bed to get the number for Environmental Health but can't find it! I live on the Wirral, have tried the Wirral council site but no number.

My drunken next door neighbour is again sitting out with a couple of other blokes, all drunk, fire going, actually sawing wood for the fire now! This is a regular thing, fire going til all hours, noisy outside then when he finally goes in the house they start shouting in the bedroom (not sexually, actually shouting at each other).

What can I do? I've really had enough now. Can I phone the police for something like this? If I do can I just go back to bed and let them deal with it or will they insist on coming to see me? That would mean being up until they finally arrive which could be ages.

Are you and your neighbours both council tenants?

If so and you believe that this is a continual problem then you need to make a written complaint to kick start their neighbour nuisance process.

If they are not council tenants but owner occupiers,you will be struglling.

One mans neighbour nuisance is anothers "lifestyle choice"

Think I'm kidding? I've been through the same mill and i have had officals including the Police use the phrases "live nad let live " and "lifestlyel choice" to me and i have endured worse than you described.

No point in calling the Police. What crime have they committed? The Police only detect and prosecute criminal offences and from what you describe,the circumstances are insufficient to get them interested in a possible breach of the peace intervention.

Paparika

Sharra wrote: »

Surely though this is Anti-social behaviour and as such a criminal offence? I know that local to me this is dealt with by Public Safety UNit which is jointly run by the police and our city council.

Yes, but have you tried to get the local cop shop to get off their !!!! and stop watching NCIS for ideas to come out and do some proper crime fighting

Pssst

Sharra wrote: »

Surely though this is Anti-social behaviour and as such a criminal offence? I know that local to me this is dealt with by Public Safety UNit which is jointly run by the police and our city council.

There is a world of difference between what happens in a public places (ie in the street) and what happens within the boundaries of someones home (the are surrounded by its boundaries such as fences etc)

Whilst someone who is drunk and loud in a public place may be deemed to be drunk and disorderly,the same could not be said or enforced on private property. If people wish to get drunk and talk loudly in their homes then that is their "lifestyle choice". There are people who suffer terribly with their neighbours and only end up selling (if they can) and move on.

The only ray of hope is if they are someones tenants and therefore possibly in breach of a tenancy agreement.

Savvy_Sue

There are two issues to raise with Env Health: the noise and the fire, I'd have thought. Surely the smoke is causing a nuisance as well?

Zoetoes

Thank you everyone for your help.

Quick update: After my OH had gone out the drunken bloke came round (drunk either from the night before or started again!), started out by saying he was coming to apologise which was good so I was trying to be ok with him, but then he ended up making comments about my OH knocking to get in at 10pm a couple of weeks ago, saying they had to put up with that, well I nearly ran him down the path but he scooted off so fast himself when he seen my face! It doesn't even compare! Ended up with him saying he is going to knock my OH out (his words), I told him to bring something to stand on (he is about 5ft 5", my OH 6ft 1").

OH and I have decided not to get into a row with them as they are probably trying to provoke us.

I have telephoned the noise pollution dept (or something like that) who recommended I try the ASBO Team which i did, they were very good.

Anyway, a bloke knocked at our house yesterday (OH answered, I was at work) asking for drunk neighbour (must have looked at both house numbers & knocked at ours by mistake, good job I wasn't trying to complain anonymously!), then went next door, turns out he was from the council and has spoken to them about the noise but haven't heard from the council yet as to details, I only know because the gobby woman neighbours shouted something as I got into my car last night about 'someone phoning the council'.

I had also told the ASBO Team that the bloke had sawn down a tree (recently planted by the council) in the close along with it's support post, from a communal grassed area, to use as firewood. Half the tree is still in the fire so I took a photo of it yesterday although not very clear and suppose it could be a bit of any tree!

I also emailed the local housing office yesterday and need to copy up notes I've scribbled in my diary onto incident sheets, 6 months worth, will take ages!