0:00:02 > 0:00:05All over the UK, millions of people
0:00:05 > 0:00:07just like you and me are being driven up the wall
0:00:07 > 0:00:09by anti-social nuisance noise.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13It's the worst thing anyone can go through.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16It's just something that just goes on and on and on.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Persistent parties...
0:00:18 > 0:00:19CAR ALARM SOUNDS
0:00:19 > 0:00:21..aggravating alarms...
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and banging builders.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25They're keeping us awake,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27disturbing our peace and quiet
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and driving us to despair.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32It really is stressful and irritating.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34It's just a nightmare.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37- But the fightback is on. - You need to come and speak to us,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39we're getting complaints about the noise.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Across the country,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43dedicated enforcement teams are getting to grips
0:00:43 > 0:00:46with nuisance noise 24/7.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50We can, if necessary, get a warrant and force entry into the property.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52You can't just leave it and let them get away with it.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54You have to keep going on and on and on.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Enough is enough.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59It's time to put an end to nuisance noise.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02That's a legal requirement. You need to turn the music down.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05If I have to come back tonight, it's a £100 fine.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09It's time to meet the no-nonsense Noise Squad.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Creating a commotion today on Noise Squad,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27one riled resident's secret filming
0:01:27 > 0:01:30helps bring a banging building site to book.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32You can clearly see it's 11:19
0:01:32 > 0:01:35on Wednesday the 18th of May
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and he then goes to the window,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40puts his camera outside and you can see
0:01:40 > 0:01:42lots of activity going on.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Officers get tough with a persistent nuisance noisemaker
0:01:45 > 0:01:48who won't turn her music down.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50If I have to come back, £100 fine, bring the police.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53And silencing this early morning alarm
0:01:53 > 0:01:57isn't going to be as easy as pulling a plug out of the wall.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- Could you bring them inside overnight?- No, don't be daft.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Westminster in the heart of London is home to
0:02:06 > 0:02:10a quarter of a million people and some of the nation's most famous landmarks.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16It's also home to the country's biggest and busiest noise squad.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Last year Westminster council's noise team dealt with
0:02:20 > 0:02:21a whopping 18,000 complaints,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25and with new flats, offices and hotels being built all the time,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27a good chunk of these were about
0:02:27 > 0:02:30builders making illegal nuisance noise.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33It's just so much noise. Then they started drilling
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and then hammering and then sawing.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39You almost feel like you are going mad because the noise is just...
0:02:39 > 0:02:42it just goes straight through your head.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47George Christian has worked for the Westminster noise team for three years.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49People are well-informed in Westminster,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51so they know what should and shouldn't happen.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55If things happen that shouldn't, they soon get on the phone to us.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58His clear and considered approach goes a long way
0:02:58 > 0:03:01to getting nuisance noisemakers to pipe down.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03If you go upstairs and do the same thing,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06you will be committing an offence.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- All right?- If you say so. - I do say so.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Today he's investigating a complaint
0:03:13 > 0:03:16about a group of builders building a hotel
0:03:16 > 0:03:21that one local resident, Farid, claims has turned his life into a complete nightmare.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24It does have a very important impact, since
0:03:24 > 0:03:27my flat is overviewing the building site
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and I can hear everything. I can almost hear them talking,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34and whenever they're doing any sort of work I can hear everything.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39Here in Westminster builders are only allowed to carry out noisy work
0:03:39 > 0:03:42between eight and six on a weekday
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and from eight till one on a Saturday.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Anything outside these hours, or on a bank holiday, is illegal.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Despite a few visits, the noise team haven't seen the builders
0:03:51 > 0:03:54working after hours, and in order to take action
0:03:54 > 0:03:58they have to witness nuisance noise first hand.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02So Farid took matters into his own hands.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04This is the footage that's been sent in
0:04:04 > 0:04:07by a local resident showing this building site
0:04:07 > 0:04:10working quite late into the evening.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12What this guy has done,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15he's actually filmed his television and he's actually
0:04:15 > 0:04:17filmed the time off of his TV screen.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20So you can clearly see it's 11:19,
0:04:20 > 0:04:26Wednesday the 18th of May, and he then goes to the window,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30puts his camera outside and you see lots of activity going on.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35A huge great big truck has come in carrying a container.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40This sort of thing shouldn't really be happening at this time of night
0:04:40 > 0:04:43so he's obviously very upset by it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46This is actually really good evidence because it shows
0:04:46 > 0:04:48the site operating in darkness,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and this time of year it's not dark till about half eight
0:04:50 > 0:04:55or nine o'clock. So whatever time this shows the site working
0:04:55 > 0:04:57is clearly very late,
0:04:57 > 0:05:02plus the fact that he's also filmed the time off of his TV screen
0:05:02 > 0:05:04just to sort of corroborate what he's saying.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Farid was at his wits' end
0:05:06 > 0:05:08when he decided to film the site
0:05:08 > 0:05:10breaking the legal quiet working hours.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Even though the noise team is very reactive,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17it takes them about 30 to 45 minutes to call you back
0:05:17 > 0:05:19and for someone to come over,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and very often, when they arrive here,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26when someone of the noise team arrives here,
0:05:26 > 0:05:31then the building site is already closed, or they stopped the work.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36And then I thought, I have to get proof of what's going on,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39so I grabbed my phone and I started taking videos.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Initially I thought, you know, how can I prove that
0:05:42 > 0:05:45what I'm shooting is actually happening at that time?
0:05:45 > 0:05:49So I had the idea of switching on my TV
0:05:49 > 0:05:53and there was the date and the time and the news headlines,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and then I started by shooting
0:05:56 > 0:06:01my TV and then moving to my window and shooting the building site.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Normally, officers have to witness nuisance noise first-hand
0:06:04 > 0:06:06in order to take action.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Farid's evidence is so strong that the builders
0:06:09 > 0:06:13were carrying out noisy work outside of permitted hours, though,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16that George has decided to call the contractor.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19It was incredibly disruptive.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22The poor guy opposite didn't get any sleep till quite late.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26In fact, you were still actually there till well gone 11 o'clock.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30What I'd like to do is serve you with a Section 60 notice
0:06:30 > 0:06:33to make sure you actually conform to the acceptable times in future,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35unless you advise us otherwise.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38A section 60 document is a legal notice
0:06:38 > 0:06:43that clearly sets out the hours builders can carry out noisy works.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Once it's been served, builders who breach the rules
0:06:46 > 0:06:50can be taken to court and fined five grand for each offence.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55George heads off to the site to serve the notice with Sylvette,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58who's on work experience with the noise squad.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59This way.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01And today she's in for a real treat.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02This one.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08She's getting a ride in George's company car, on the right,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and it's the envy of the team.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13- GEORGE LAUGHS - He wishes!
0:07:13 > 0:07:15We're off.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22After arriving at the site,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25George is keen to speak to someone in authority.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29I've just asked for the person in charge to come and speak to me.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32It's a fairly loud site. There's little bits of breaking going on
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and various bits of machinery, most of which is quite large,
0:07:35 > 0:07:41so you can imagine at night, when the general location's quieter,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43it will sound far louder than it is even now.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47He has a chat with the foreman, and is firm but fair.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Right, I've spoken to the site foreman
0:07:50 > 0:07:53and he's admitted that there were some serious problems
0:07:53 > 0:07:56on the night that the footage was taken.
0:07:56 > 0:08:02I've listened to what he had to say and in the real world, things do go wrong.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05But the mistake they did make was not to inform us
0:08:05 > 0:08:08when things were going badly wrong in the first place, so at the first
0:08:08 > 0:08:11sign of trouble they should have been on the phone to let us know.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15I've served him with a Section 60 notice.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16What that means is that, in future,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19he needs to keep us informed of what happens on the site
0:08:19 > 0:08:21so if there's any sign of trouble,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24anything that means that the site is going to overrun
0:08:24 > 0:08:28or go beyond its normal times, he should get straight in touch with us
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and let us know that that's the situation.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32If we get complaints then,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35we can let people know there is a problem and we can at least
0:08:35 > 0:08:38tell them when it's going to be resolved. Hopefully now,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42there'll be a better relationship between us and the site and we can communicate.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45If we get complaints, we can let residents know the problem.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Farid's video was crucial in enabling George to get
0:08:49 > 0:08:52a quick result and cooperation from the builders.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54I noticed a big difference.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56They are now respecting the working hours,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00they are respecting the noisy hours,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04so there was indeed a result from the action of the noise team.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Right now it's past 6pm, and fortunately the works are over
0:09:13 > 0:09:17so I can have some peace and relax.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22It's a quick and simple result for the noise squad.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26To date there have been no more complaints about the site,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and no further action has been necessary.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Belfast in Northern Ireland is home to around half a million people.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40The council's noise squad was set up ten years ago,
0:09:40 > 0:09:45and one of the biggest problems they have to deal with are noisy parties.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Noise officers Steve and Philip
0:09:47 > 0:09:50have eight years' experience between them,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54and are no strangers to dealing with parties that have got a little out of hand.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56You're very loud out the back in the alleyway.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00If we have to come back it's a £100 fine,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03bring the police, contact the university.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12It's Thursday night and the calls are coming in thick and fast.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15In order to investigate the complaint,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17we need their address and your name and address.
0:10:17 > 0:10:2015 and counting.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25The lads begin their shift at eight,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28but it's after eleven when the action really begins.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31We usually get there about eleven o'clock
0:10:31 > 0:10:33when people start going to bed.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37People's toleration points and levels are crazy this time of night
0:10:37 > 0:10:39cos they're trying to get to sleep.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42It's going to be a busier-than-usual night
0:10:42 > 0:10:45for Philip and Steve, as the police have asked them
0:10:45 > 0:10:48to deal with some of the complaints they've received.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Tonight we've had about four, possibly five, calls from the police, and...
0:10:55 > 0:10:58..some months go by where we maybe only get five calls from the police,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01so they'll be using our service a lot tonight.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It usually means they're under pressure
0:11:03 > 0:11:05with a lot of parties and stuff
0:11:05 > 0:11:09and they don't have enough vehicles to get around,
0:11:09 > 0:11:14so they start passing the complaints they usually deal with on to us as well.
0:11:14 > 0:11:20Steve and Philip have been called to a block of flats to visit a repeat offender.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24It seems that this noisemaker likes their music and likes it loud.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27As they're regular visitors to this block,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29getting in won't be a problem.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Because we've been there so many times,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33the Environmental Health Officer got us a key fob
0:11:33 > 0:11:37to the actual apartment block, so it means any further complaints,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40we just need to use the key fob for access problems.
0:11:40 > 0:11:46We can assess it from the inside of the actual apartment complex.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53The lads have been called out many times to this block of flats to deal with noisy neighbours,
0:11:53 > 0:12:00and as they arrive, Philip's careful not to add to tonight's noise with a slamming door.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04This inconsiderate noisemaker
0:12:04 > 0:12:09doesn't seem to care that they're keeping their neighbours awake.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10RINGS DOORBELL
0:12:10 > 0:12:11LOUD MUSIC FROM FLAT
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It might sound like there's a party of rowdy revellers
0:12:18 > 0:12:22on the other side of the door, but in fact, Philip and Steve
0:12:22 > 0:12:26think that this is an ear-piercing party for one.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Some cases when the noise is very loud,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31we have to wait till the song stops to try and get their attention
0:12:31 > 0:12:33as quick as we can before they put another song on.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36LOUD MUSIC FROM FLAT CONTINUES
0:12:41 > 0:12:43It's a heavy big door, like.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46In other cases, we can't get them to come to the door at all,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and we end up having to post a notice on the property.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52It's the council. Can you open the door, please?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55They're not having much luck getting a response
0:12:55 > 0:12:59and when Philip is finally heard he's told to go away...
0:12:59 > 0:13:00BLEEP
0:13:00 > 0:13:02..or words to that effect.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- This is not the apartment you've usually been to, is it?- Mmm?
0:13:08 > 0:13:10This is not the apartment you usually come to.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- It's the first I've witnessed anything.- Oh, right.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16The council need to speak to you, please. Can you open the door?
0:13:16 > 0:13:17SHOUTING INSIDE
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I need to speak to you, could you open the front door?
0:13:20 > 0:13:22SHOUTING AND BANGING
0:13:22 > 0:13:25That's your legal requirement, you need to turn the music down.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28If we have to come back tonight, it's a £100 fine.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Right, well... We'll have to come back, £100 fine, bring the police.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38This noisemaker has been served with a warning notice to stop the noise.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43If they ignore it, Philip and Steve could be back with a £100 fine.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46That girl had no intention of opening the door.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51To my thinking, I'm thinking back to the previous complaints.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54I think we tried to approach her on one other occasion
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and got the exact same response,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59so if we get another complaint, we can call with them,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01take a measurement, and if it's loud enough we can
0:14:01 > 0:14:03issue them with a £100 fixed penalty
0:14:03 > 0:14:06which we'd serve tonight with police assistance.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Different councils deal with nuisance noise
0:14:10 > 0:14:12in slightly different ways.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Here in Belfast, if the team think there's a problem,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18they can serve the noisemaker with a warning notice.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21This means they have to quieten down.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24If they refuse, and the problem persists
0:14:24 > 0:14:27they can be hit with a £100 fine.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30If that's ignored they could be taken to the magistrates court
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and prosecuted for not paying the fine
0:14:33 > 0:14:35or not stopping the noise.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Now, who thinks that the lads will have to come back
0:14:40 > 0:14:43to the nuisance noisemaker's property?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Yep, there they are.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's been less than an hour since their first visit,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58and Steve and Philip are back. Fed up residents have called in
0:14:58 > 0:15:02to say that the noisemaker's music is still on.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05We've returned to the apartment that we visited earlier,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and served a warning notice on the lady
0:15:07 > 0:15:10by posting it through her front door.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14She wouldn't come to her front door and was swearing and abusive.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20This suspected party for one is still going strong,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23so the lads are going to gather evidence
0:15:23 > 0:15:26to help them dish out a £100 fine.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27What are the levels like?
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Cos we can take measurements for a fixed penalty if you wish.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35One of the noisemaker's neighbours has allowed Philip into their home
0:15:35 > 0:15:38so that he can measure how loud the music is.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42He's assembling specialist sound equipment to monitor the noise.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45If it's over the permitted level, this noisemaker's party for one
0:15:45 > 0:15:48could cost her a pretty penny.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56After recording the noise for five minutes, Philip checks the reading.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00For a fixed penalty, we actually need
0:16:00 > 0:16:06a measurement of ten decibels above the underlying level and at least 31.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10On this occasion, the underlying level is 21 decibels,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14so the permitted level is 31, and it's actually measured as 38,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16so we've got the fixed penalty.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Under normal circumstances we'd phone for police assistance,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22but because they're extremely busy tonight
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and she won't actually open the door to us,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26we'll try and do it ourselves again.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29If she doesn't answer, then we'll just post it on the property
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and she has 14 days to pay it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33RINGS DOORBELL
0:16:33 > 0:16:35MUSIC FROM INSIDE FLAT
0:16:37 > 0:16:39It seems as though this noisemaker
0:16:39 > 0:16:42is turning a deaf ear to Phillip and Steve,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46but not answering the door isn't going to save her from a £100 fine.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50As predicted, she's not going to answer the door,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54so I'll just serve a fixed penalty notice on the property.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57It's deemed served, and she'll have 14 days to pay it.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02She might not have wanted to face the music,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05but this nuisance noisemaker is being made to pay the penalty
0:17:05 > 0:17:09for her behaviour, and has been given a £100 fine.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15For most people that would be the end of the story,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19but not for this noisy neighbour. She's been ordered to cough up, but she won't shut up,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and when Phillip and Steve's colleagues are called again
0:17:22 > 0:17:26to deal with her, getting her to listen to reason
0:17:26 > 0:17:27is going to be easier said than done.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- WOMAN: Who is it? - It's the council noise service.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- Who? - It's the council.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- Who? - The council noise service.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Who?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45From quiet villages in the countryside
0:17:45 > 0:17:48to bustling streets in big towns and cities,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51one type of nuisance noise
0:17:51 > 0:17:54that really gets our goat is out-of-control alarms.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56CAR ALARMS SOUND
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Whether it's screeching car alarms...
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- HOUSE ALARM SOUNDS - ...or howling house alarms.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09These piercing pests drive us bonkers.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11It's an irritating loud noise that
0:18:11 > 0:18:13you wish you could turn off but you have no control of.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17It just goes through your head constantly, it doesn't shut up.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24After serving for three years on Westminster Council's noise squad,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28George Christian has dealt with his fair share of annoying alarms.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Today he's on his way to investigate a complaint
0:18:30 > 0:18:33from a seriously hacked off resident
0:18:33 > 0:18:37who's been disturbed by an ear-piercing house alarm for two days.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44The guy is disturbed by the noise affecting his bedroom.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47It's something that isn't very loud in the street,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49but he can clearly hear it inside his property
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and he says it's preventing him sleeping at night.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54So I'm going along there now
0:18:54 > 0:18:58and see whether it's a nuisance or not.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00The problem is the property's recently been sold
0:19:00 > 0:19:02and the new owners haven't moved in yet,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05so it looks as though for the time being the house is empty,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08so we're going to have to do a little bit of detective work
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and try and find out where the new owners are,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13and make some sort of contact with them.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17According to George the complainant says
0:19:17 > 0:19:20the alarm isn't that loud in the street.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I'm not sure about that. Have a listen to this.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25ALARM SOUNDS LOUDLY
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Well, you can clearly hear the alarm from outside here.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44The problem's clear - the alarm's on, but nobody's home.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50George goes to visit the neighbour who's been driven to distraction by this annoying alarm,
0:19:53 > 0:19:58but it seems that they've headed out in search of a bit of peace and quiet.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01OK. The person making the complaint has gone out,
0:20:01 > 0:20:02possibly because of the noise,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06but you can clearly hear the alarm sounding out into the street
0:20:06 > 0:20:08and if that's going to be going all day and all night,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11you can see it's almost certainly going to be a nuisance.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14What I'll do is I'll serve a notice,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16a legal notice at the address,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18and make enquiries with local estate agents
0:20:18 > 0:20:21to see if they can find out who the new owners are.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25This property has recently been sold
0:20:25 > 0:20:30and is now unoccupied, although it has an owner,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33but they clearly haven't moved in yet.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36So we'll try and make some sort of contact with them.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41House alarms are supposed to stop after 20 minutes.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44If they don't, they're considered to be a nuisance.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47George writes out a legal warning notice.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54He's decided to give the homeowner 12 hours to turn off the alarm.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58If they don't, George has the power to disable the alarm
0:20:58 > 0:21:01with the help of an electrician, and if that happens,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05the alarm owner will have to pay for the costs of doing so.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07As the house is unoccupied,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10it might seem a bit daft to post a notice,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13but if he's going to take formal action and break in later
0:21:13 > 0:21:17to silence the alarm, George has to do things by the book.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20OK. Notice is served.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Normally the homeowner would have one hour to sort the problem,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27but George has given them a bit longer to comply
0:21:27 > 0:21:30so that he can try to track them down.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33If we can't find the owner, then we can... I've served the notice
0:21:33 > 0:21:36there already and I've given it twelve hours to expire
0:21:36 > 0:21:39which means that by tonight,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41if the owner hasn't surfaced,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45we can if necessary get a warrant and force entry into the property
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and actually silence the alarm ourselves.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Something we often do.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55George has headed to a local estate agent
0:21:55 > 0:21:58that's dealing with the empty property
0:21:58 > 0:22:01to see if they can help him track down the owners.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06After a quick chat, there's good news.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10I've just called at the estate agents,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14who confirmed they handled the sale of the property just recently.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15They've made contact...
0:22:15 > 0:22:18well, they've text messaged the new owner
0:22:18 > 0:22:20just to say that there's a problem with the alarm,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22it's been sounding for two days,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26and can they attend the property urgently and switch it off.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that will do the trick.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34This matter seems to be under control,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38so George heads back out on patrol. But whilst he's on the move,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42he gets a call from someone who says she's the owner of the property.
0:22:42 > 0:22:43Hello, George, noise team.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48And he tells her how long the alarm has been going off - for two days!
0:22:48 > 0:22:50'Oh, my God. It's not even set.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:53No, it's been going a while. I'm told it's been two days.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55It's certainly going off today.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- 'I'm so appalled by that, I'm sorry.'- OK.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00'Gosh. Has it been going on intermittently?'
0:23:00 > 0:23:03No, I believe it's been going solidly for two...
0:23:03 > 0:23:06'Oh, my God. I'm just so appalled by that.'
0:23:06 > 0:23:08It's obviously nothing you were aware of,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10so we can't hold that against you.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14'Right, OK, I'll just have to get myself organised.'
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Where are you now?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18'I'm in Sussex, at least an hour-and-a-half away,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- 'if not two hours, but I'm just appalled by it.'- Right.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23'OK, all right, I'm really sorry about that.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27'I expect my neighbours are absolutely furious. OK, thanks.'
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Will you give me a call once you've attended?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'I will, I will, OK, thanks, bye.'
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Thank you.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36The homeowner is deeply apologetic,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and is on her way to sort out the problem.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41She got the message from the estate agent
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and she's got in touch with me
0:23:43 > 0:23:46to say that she will come up and deal with the alarm.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48She was very, very apologetic,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and sounded in a bit of a panic, actually.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53But the main thing is that she'll come out today
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and deal with the alarm,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58so her neighbours will get a good night's sleep,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01which I'm sure they're looking forward to after two days.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04George may have tracked down the owners of the house,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08but that's not the end of this alarming tale.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12This will be one alarm that refuses to go down without a fight.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- Well, I'm trying, you might know more than I do.- Let's have a look.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23And elsewhere, there are other cases still to be resolved.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28In Belfast, officers are called back to a persistent nuisance noise offender
0:24:28 > 0:24:31who won't answer her door and won't turn her music down.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36You need to turn it down, or you'll end up getting fined later on.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39And in York, a crowing cockerel is keeping its neighbours awake
0:24:39 > 0:24:41but its owner can't hear the problem.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Basically I've shut off to them,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47I can't hear them. I mean, the children,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50they sleep through the crowing as well. I think what it is,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53it's like anything, train noise, police noise, any siren,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56you eventually just get used to it. But obviously this noise
0:24:56 > 0:25:00is quite irritating for some individual.
0:25:04 > 0:25:10All over the UK, thousands of people call their local noise squads every year
0:25:10 > 0:25:13to complain about barking dogs.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16There's a dog up the stairs, and that just goes on and on and on.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Any slight noise that...
0:25:18 > 0:25:20walking up and down the stairs, shutting the door,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23it barks, barks, barks, and it doesn't stop.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28At night-time, just when you thought you're going to go to sleep,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30all you hear was barking, barking, barking.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34But pooches aren't the only noisy animals in town.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39In some parts of the country, our feathered friends are also causing a racket.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47In York, noise officer Craig Delorenzo and trainee Siobhan Metcalfe
0:25:47 > 0:25:50of the council's noise squad are trying
0:25:50 > 0:25:53to help a resident who lives not far from the city centre,
0:25:53 > 0:25:58but is being plagued by a typically rural nuisance noise.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00COCKEREL CROWS
0:26:05 > 0:26:09We're just listening to a complaint of a cockerel crowing
0:26:09 > 0:26:12in the early hours of the morning.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14The problem has been going on for a while now
0:26:14 > 0:26:16and we've just had some recording equipment
0:26:16 > 0:26:18put in to the complainant's property
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and we're recording the noise from the cockerel.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23In this particular instance
0:26:23 > 0:26:27it starts at ten to six in the morning,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and is crowing 14 times in five minutes.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31COCKEREL CROWS
0:26:33 > 0:26:36If someone's being woken up before six in the morning,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39it's no wonder this cockerel's ruffling a few feathers.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Well, I'm often asked about decibels,
0:26:44 > 0:26:49and decibels can be a bad way of describing noise,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52because it's the annoyance that the noise causes
0:26:52 > 0:26:56rather than just how loud it is.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59For instance, we've got quite high noise levels of bird song,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02so tweeting of sparrows, blackbirds, and things,
0:27:02 > 0:27:07and those noises don't bother anyone.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10But you have an out of the ordinary noise
0:27:10 > 0:27:12such as a cockerel in a city centre location,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and that can disturb people.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The following week, Craig and Siobhan hit the road.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22They've written to the owner of the cockerel
0:27:22 > 0:27:24and now they're going to visit her.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26With six years of experience on the noise team,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Craig knows that however tricky the problem,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32turning a blind eye and hoping for the best
0:27:32 > 0:27:35isn't really an option.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36It's very important that we're
0:27:36 > 0:27:39determined to deal with these problems.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41You can't just leave it and let them get away with it.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44You have to keep going on and on and on
0:27:44 > 0:27:46and investigate it thoroughly.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52If you're being disturbed by noisy neighbours or any other type of nuisance noise,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56your local council are on hand to deal with it,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59so don't suffer in silence, give them a call.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Craig and Siobhan arrive at the owner's home.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07With cases like this, noise officers in York
0:28:07 > 0:28:09have the power to serve written notices
0:28:09 > 0:28:13telling owners to quieten their animals down.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17A written notice means that an animal owner is legally obliged
0:28:17 > 0:28:20to keep their animals quiet.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Breaching this notice is an offence,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26and the owner could be prosecuted in court and fined up to five grand.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Craig and Siobhan are led to the back garden
0:28:30 > 0:28:32to meet the noisy culprits.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34We've had a complaint about the cockerel
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and just wanted to come and see you about it and give you some advice.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40The owner's keen to let them know that
0:28:40 > 0:28:43although her animals are her pride and joy,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47she never intended to be the owner of TWO noisy cockerels.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- I had three hens and one cockerel... - Right.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- and the fox took them on New Year's Eve.- Oh, dear.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58So basically when I got these, they were babies and you can't tell
0:28:58 > 0:29:00the sex of them until they grow into adults.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02So I've ended up with more than one cockerel.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Craig lets her know that there are people
0:29:05 > 0:29:09who aren't so impressed with early wake up calls.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11- The reason we're here... - The noise.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13..is we've had a complaint from a resident,
0:29:13 > 0:29:14we've had recording equipment in.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Yes, I read the letter cos I didn't see your first letter
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- and I received it when I got home from work today.- OK.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22I actually spoke to my nearest neighbours
0:29:22 > 0:29:24before I got the chickens, and
0:29:24 > 0:29:28obviously they've got children and they all come in the garden,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31everybody gets the eggs, the kids come in, you know,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34to see the chickens, to feed them, and everybody was like,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37"Oh, it's a lovely noise compared to sirens."
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Police cars going up all the time,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42ambulances back and forth over there,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44I thought, what's a cockerel going to do?
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- But obviously somebody's upset. - Yeah, but...
0:29:46 > 0:29:50The majority round here, I wasn't like arrogant
0:29:50 > 0:29:53to go ahead and not say anything,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56but it's been a novelty having chickens in the street.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00The complaint hasn't come from either of the neighbours who live directly next door.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03The owner wants to come up with a solution,
0:30:03 > 0:30:08and it turns out one of the birds is considerably louder than the other.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10The only thing I was thinking,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13because I was thinking of compromises before you came,
0:30:13 > 0:30:17but first of all I wanted to see what angle you were coming from
0:30:17 > 0:30:19and what you proposed.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24You know, what we want is for a way of resolving the problem
0:30:24 > 0:30:27that stops the cockerels crowing early in the morning.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Now, there are different ways of doing that.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Is there anywhere that you could bring them
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- inside anywhere overnight, or... - No, don't be daft.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40The only option is the first stage I thought is, I'd get rid of the noisy one,
0:30:40 > 0:30:42the black one, and then see how it goes,
0:30:42 > 0:30:46and if complaints resume then the blonde one then has to go,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48and I thought that was a compromise that was...
0:30:48 > 0:30:50I'm happy to go with that compromise.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54The owner thinks she can find the noisier black cockerel
0:30:54 > 0:30:56a new home in around three weeks.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58If there are still complaints after that,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01then the other cockerel will have to be re-homed too.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04We may find that once the other one goes,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07the other one starts becoming more dominant.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10He may, but he's a little gentleman.
0:31:10 > 0:31:15Until now, the owner wasn't aware that her birds were getting someone in a bit of flap.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18I was quite surprised to get the letter today
0:31:18 > 0:31:21from the council, because prior to getting the chickens
0:31:21 > 0:31:23I actually talked to the neighbours,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25especially the neighbours next door, and asked them
0:31:25 > 0:31:29if they would have any problems with me getting the chickens,
0:31:29 > 0:31:35and everybody was quite, "Oh, it's great, unique, a new thing," and, you know,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37it's brought fun to the children
0:31:37 > 0:31:40and also the neighbours get all the eggs and they love them,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42they actually come knocking asking for eggs.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46But also through that, we've started trading vegetables with eggs,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48so it all works out and I actually thought
0:31:48 > 0:31:51we were working well together as a community.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54And having had these feathered friends for a number of months,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57her family have all got quite used to the crowing.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Basically I've actually shut off to them, I can't hear them.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04I mean, the children, they sleep through the crowing as well.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07I think what it is, it's like anything, train noise,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11police noise, any siren, you eventually just get used to it.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15But obviously this noise is quite irritating for some individual.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Right, well, thanks for your help today.
0:32:20 > 0:32:21I'll keep in touch and let you know
0:32:21 > 0:32:25- if we get any complaints. All right?- Yes, thank you.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27- All right. See you then. - Thank you very much. Bye.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33After two months of building up a history to this case,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Craig and Siobhan can leave with an excellent result.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38No written notice needed to be served.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41I'm pretty satisfied with that resolution.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44I think that three weeks is a reasonable time
0:32:44 > 0:32:47for the complaint, for the person with the chickens
0:32:47 > 0:32:48to get rid of the cockerel,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52and I'm sure that the complainants will be happy with that.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55And I'm going to get in touch with them and ask them
0:32:55 > 0:32:57to keep me informed, and any more problems,
0:32:57 > 0:32:59I'm sure they'll let me know.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03It seems like Craig has the result he wanted,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06and I think it's fair to say he's a happy man.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09We don't want to put all our eggs in one basket
0:33:09 > 0:33:11to resolve the issue, but hopefully
0:33:11 > 0:33:14that should be the end of the matter.
0:33:14 > 0:33:20Very good, Craig. Since his visit, this has become a case of cock-a-doodle-don't.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22The noisy black cockerel has been re-homed.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25There have no further problems with the other one,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27and no further action has been needed.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34In Belfast, the council's noise squad
0:33:34 > 0:33:37have been dealing with a persistent nuisance noise offender
0:33:37 > 0:33:40who won't turn her music down.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42BLEEP
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Despite their efforts to get her to answer the door and talk to them,
0:33:45 > 0:33:49the occupant of this flat refused to cooperate with the council's noise team.
0:33:49 > 0:33:54She wouldn't quieten down, and so was hit with a £100 fine.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00As predicted, she's not going to answer the door, so I've just served
0:34:00 > 0:34:03a fixed penalty notice on the property.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06It's deemed served and she'll have 14 days to pay it.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Six weeks later, noise officers
0:34:10 > 0:34:14Tim and Jim have been called out to the same address.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16The stakes are getting higher.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20The noise maker hasn't paid her fine and is continuing to be a problem.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24We're headed to a block of apartments.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28It's a property we've previously been out with.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30The occupant likes to listen to music very loud,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33so she's disturbing the neighbours who live around her.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35We've had about four or five previous visits,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38so, depending on what we witness here tonight,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41if she ends up with another warning notice,
0:34:41 > 0:34:46it's going to result in a permanent noise abatement order being served on the address.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48It could result in her being taken to court.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52A permanent noise abatement notice means that if the noise squad
0:34:52 > 0:34:55witness any nuisance noise from the property in future
0:34:55 > 0:34:58the occupier could be facing a trip to the magistrates' court
0:34:58 > 0:35:00and a further fine.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05One of the riled residents in the block of flats
0:35:05 > 0:35:07has allowed Jim and Tim into their home
0:35:07 > 0:35:13to monitor the music levels coming from the noisemaker's flat.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- A bit of music. - Just music.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21I don't know if she's got it playing or not.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24She got a fine last time. A £100 fine, she did, the last time.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Jim explains that, this time,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29the music isn't really loud enough for them
0:35:29 > 0:35:33- to issue a warning notice. - It's not loud enough to be notice,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36it's sort of a grey area between verbal and a notice.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38OK. We'll go up and try and talk to her.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40If she doesn't come to the door,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42we'll request that the day staff send a letter in.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45The music might not be loud enough for a formal notice,
0:35:45 > 0:35:46but it's enough of a problem
0:35:46 > 0:35:50for them to give the noisemaker a verbal warning.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57I'll tell you what, the insulation's pretty good in these properties. Cos that's...
0:35:57 > 0:36:00She's in the lounge. We were in the complainants' bedroom.
0:36:00 > 0:36:01That's what it is.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04RINGS DOORBELL MUSIC FROM FLAT
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- WOMAN: Who is it? - It's the council noise service.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16- Who?- It's the council.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18- Who?- The council noise service.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19Who?
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Maybe if she turned the music down
0:36:21 > 0:36:24she'd be able to hear who was knocking at her door.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28It's the council noise service. You need to turn the music down.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30It's causing a disturbance to your neighbours.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39Despite his best efforts, Jim, like his colleagues before him,
0:36:39 > 0:36:44is having no luck getting this noisemaker to open her door.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47The music's very loud in there, or she's hard of hearing.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50You'll need to turn it down or you'll end up getting fined later on.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59To no-one's surprise, the noisemaker refuses to open the door.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Obviously, you're not going to be able to reason with her.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05I've told her who we are and that she needs to lower it.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10She probably won't. But there's not much more we can do from the point of view of the complainant,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13unless the volume goes right up, you know,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17you're always looking to be fair, to balance the two, you know,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20between the needs of the complainant for peace and quiet,
0:37:20 > 0:37:25and the needs of the person who's making the noise to enjoy their property.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28She won't shut up and this noise maker
0:37:28 > 0:37:31hasn't paid her £100 fine. Having ignored reminders,
0:37:31 > 0:37:35the next letter she gets will be a letter from the magistrates' court,
0:37:35 > 0:37:39where she'll be facing prosecution and a possible further penalty.
0:37:46 > 0:37:52In Westminster, noise officer George Christian has been dealing with an ear-piercing house alarm
0:37:52 > 0:37:56that's been going off at an unoccupied property for two days.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03He's served a warning notice on the property,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06giving the owners 12 hours to turn off the alarm
0:38:06 > 0:38:08or face possible prosecution and a fine.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10ALARM SOUNDS CONSTANTLY
0:38:14 > 0:38:15Notice is served.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22A visit to a local estate agent helped him
0:38:22 > 0:38:24to track down the owner who's promised to get over
0:38:24 > 0:38:29to the house sharpish to turn it off and she's called back with an update.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- 'George, hi, it's Lucy here.' - Hello there.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34'We're in the house trying to get it turned off.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36'We can't hold of anyone to come out.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39'I just wanted you to let you know we're working on it
0:38:39 > 0:38:43- 'but we can't solve it yet.' - OK, all right, just keep me informed.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- Just keep me informed. - 'I will, thanks.'- Thank you.- 'Bye.'
0:38:46 > 0:38:50George has done his job by tracking down the owners,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54but duty calls, and he's decided to pop along to see if he can lend a hand
0:38:54 > 0:38:56to silence this aggravating alarm.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59ALARM SOUNDS CONSTANTLY
0:38:59 > 0:39:04As he arrives, George is met by the homeowner's husband.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07- I've just had a call from the new owner, Lucy.- Yeah.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10And she said say she was here to silence the alarm.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Well, I'm trying. you might know more than I do.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Let's have a look.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17I'm not surprised people complained.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21This ear-piercing house alarm would drive anyone mad.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27The new owners didn't know it had been activated, so the neighbours
0:39:27 > 0:39:29have been suffering with it for two days.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36George, though, is on the case.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40ALARM CONTINUES
0:39:48 > 0:39:50ALARM BECOMES QUIETER
0:39:50 > 0:39:53OK, I'm putting back this connection.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56He's stopped the loudest alarm,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59but this is one alarm that refuses to be silenced without a fight.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01That's solved the noise problem.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05- So the only problem you have now is obviously...- To disconnect that.
0:40:05 > 0:40:06..setting that up again.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10It might be that you don't use that system,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13cos it looks of some age. So you might want to get...
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Yeah, we'll get rid of it.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- Really, really old system, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22Looks like it's probably at least 20-years-old.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Yeah, it is. It's been...
0:40:24 > 0:40:27The previous owners got it disconnected, but...
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- You've got a sounder inside here. - That's what we'll get rid of.
0:40:32 > 0:40:37The only way to shut it down for good is to disconnect everything.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- There you go. - Perfect.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43So, in your view, is that completely disarmed now?
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Yeah, I'm disconnecting all of the sounders,
0:40:46 > 0:40:50so there's nothing else that can mechanically make that noise.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54- That should do it. - Perfect.- It's done.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- You're very kind. Thanks very much.- OK.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59George has gone above and beyond the call of duty,
0:40:59 > 0:41:03and this neighbourhood will finally get a bit of peace and quiet.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05All right, there's a notice served.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10Obviously, being aware of the notice, you've acted on it and complied,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13so you've done everything that you, that could have been asked of you,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16so as far as we're concerned, we won't take any further action.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19We've not needed a contractor to enter the place,
0:41:19 > 0:41:20or any warrants or anything,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24so we'll now close it and it's really down to you
0:41:24 > 0:41:27just to get the alarm sorted out for your own peace of mind.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30- All right?- Thanks. All right. I apologise for getting you out.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33That's all right. Thanks for your co-operation.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34- OK.- Bye now. Have a good day.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Nice one, George.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43A bit of detective work and some emergency DIY has delivered a real result,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46and saved this homeowner hundreds of pounds.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51The owner was here, but he had a little bit of difficulty
0:41:51 > 0:41:54actually disconnecting the alarm internally.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58As it turns out, it was just a case of undoing a few screws
0:41:58 > 0:42:00and pulling out a few wires.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04And this chap is delighted with the outcome.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06George helped a great deal, because he knew
0:42:06 > 0:42:09a little bit more than me about disconnecting alarms.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11So I'm happy with that.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15With the alarm off and disconnected,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18there will be no need for any further action,
0:42:18 > 0:42:20and this case is closed.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26It's been a busy shift for the noise squad.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29They've dealt with out-of-control house alarms,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32rowdy revellers, noisy builders,
0:42:32 > 0:42:34and an unwelcome early morning alarm call.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36COCKEREL CROWS
0:42:36 > 0:42:40There's no let-up in the battle against anti-social nuisance noise
0:42:40 > 0:42:45and plenty more cases still to be dealt with by the noise squad.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:08 > 0:43:11E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk