http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=596472006

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=596472006

Thu 20 Apr 2006

Two people warned in Edinburgh over noise each night

STEWART COOPER

MORE than two people are slapped with formal warnings every night in

Edinburgh by noise wardens as part of a city-wide crackdown on nuisance

neighbours.

The council's new get-tough approach has seen dozens of people who

persistently blare out music or play their TV too loud hit with hefty fines.

Since launching the campaign a year ago, noise wardens have received 9500

complaints across the city, with Leith, Sighthill and Dalry topping the list

of worst offenders.

One man in Easter Road has been served with an antisocial behaviour order

(Asbo) for refusing to turn down his music.

Other noisy neighbours have had their stereos seized, while more than 100

revellers were thrown out of one flat party which had kept the rest of the

tenement up all night.

But officers today said most people turned down the noise when they were

confronted by the council's team of environment health officers (EHOs).

The wardens, dubbed noise meanies, took over the task of tackling noise from

the police a year ago in a bid to stop the worst offenders making their

neighbours' lives a misery.

So far, 850 warning notices have been handed out to thoughtless neighbours

as well as 35 fixed penalties of £100.

The bulk of noise reported comes from stereos in flats on Friday and

Saturday nights, but people playing musical instruments has also prompted

complaints, including one where a drum kit was being hammered late at night.

Jim Hunter, who has headed the first year of patrols, said:

"If you are suffering from noise at night in your own home you want it dealt

with there and then and that is what we are aiming to do.

"We have managed to arrive on the doorstep in 90 per cent of cases within 60

minutes. An Asbo was pursued against one man who was persistently playing

loud music.

"He was given warning notices on four or five occasions. But on further

occasions he played loud music again quite deliberately and it was decided

that the best way to deal with that person was to get an Asbo, which I

understand has been granted in the last two weeks."

The man now faces arrest should he persist in playing loud music from his

home.

The wardens are generally busiest around midnight and say much of the noise

is fuelled by alcohol or unsupervised youngsters.

Officers first ask people to turn the noise down before a formal warning is

given on the spot if the request is ignored. If the noise persists, a £100

fine is handed out.

Mr Hunter said that officers occasionally have to deal with abuse, but that

no officer had yet been assaulted. He added: "We have had one or two awkward

instances when we have attended a complaint and found there is a very large

party in full swing with over 100 people in a flat. There was one occasion

when we asked the police to attend as there were so many people and officers

judged there was a real safety issue."

Councillor Bob Cairns, executive member for environmental services, said:

"The council's noise teams have dealt with almost 10,000 complaints from the

public in their first year of operation.

"The council is fully committed to taking action against the small minority

of people who disregard the rights of their neighbours to live in peace and

quiet."

Inspector Gavin Philip of Lothian and Borders Police's safer communities

department said: "The EHOs have proved to be very effective to date, freeing

up time for the police to deal with other priorities."

This article: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=596472006

Last updated: 20-Apr-06 11:42 BST