"Have fun, but be considerate" over noise

12.21.02pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 15th Jun 2007

With summer here, Richmond Council has issued a timely reminder to residents to have fun but… "be considerate over noise."

The Council receives around 6,000 calls about noise each year and all are investigated - with prosecutions a rarity. Most complaints relate to noisy neighbours, with loud music and dog barking among the main sources of nuisance. Faulty intruder alarms are another headache. This week, the Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Martin Elengorn, issued a reminder to people to consider their neighbours.

He said: "We want everyone to enjoy the summer in our beautiful borough. However, excessive, unwanted noise can cause misery for neighbours, and I would urge everyone to be thoughtful. Just a little thought, simply turning down the volume in many instances, can avoid noise problems and my message is simply: be considerate. I would also make a plea to residents to ensure their burglar alarms are serviced as faulty ones are another source of noise nuisance, and to notify the Council of their keyholder details."