Noisy neighbours 'wreaking havoc'

Noise pollution is a big problem in the UK and a new report shows that eight out of ten noisy neighbour disturbances are going unreported to the police because of fear of reprisals.

Research by Direct Line home insurance has found that ten per cent of all homeowners in the UK experience some noise-related problems with neighbours which means that some three million families are affected in this country.

The results can be devastating with two-thirds of victims suffering physical or emotional harm such as sleep deprivation, becoming ill or having their personal relationships with loved ones affected.

"Homeowners feel that they have nowhere to turn in dealing with nightmare neighbours, and are not reporting incidents to the police or local authority," said Andy Lowe from the firm.

"The fact is that the police take these kinds of complaints seriously and will soon have the power to evict noisy neighbours if they are causing problems."

The most common culprits are arguing, shouting, loud music and unrestrained barking dogs with Liverpool, Bradford and London being the worst places for noisy neighbours.


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