Published: Friday, 23rd April 2021
Stereo equipment including an amplifier unit, speakers and subwoofers were seized from a property in St Nicholas Close, King's Lynn.
The equipment has now been forfeited following a successful prosecution by the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk.
Complaints were received in 2020 regarding the repeated and prolonged playing of loud music from a second floor flat, which was audible over 50 metres away. An abatement notice was served on 6 November 2020. On 7 November 2020 the notice was breached, witnessed by the council's out of hours team. The noise nuisance continued and, on 25 November, a warrant was obtained from the Magistrates' Court, and the equipment was seized by council officers on 27 November.
Mr Jamie Mitchelson, 53, of King's Lynn, did not attend and the court permitted the case to proceed in his absence.
The court ordered the following:
- A fine in the sum of £660.00;
- Victim surcharge in the sum of £66.00;
- Forfeiture of the equipment seized on 27th November 2020;
- Costs in the sum of £2014.41.
Community Safety and Neighbourhood Nuisance Officer Hannah Marsters said: "We take these matters seriously. This type of anti-social behaviour can be a real blight on people's lives. We prefer to try to talk to people to get them to adjust their behaviour so that everyone can enjoy their properties. In this instance, there were opportunities to correct the behaviour and comply with the law, but the continued reports of loud music made it clear that the situation wasn't going to improve without court intervention."
Noise nuisance can be reported online by going to west-norfolk.gov.uk and putting noise nuisance into the search box. To report noise nuisance the address from which the noise is coming must be supplied, along with an explanation of the frequency and type of noise that is causing the nuisance. Anonymous complaints cannot be investigated.