Two residents who made their neighbours’ lives a misery have been issued with ASBO’s (anti-social behaviour orders) by Croydon magistrates’ court.
Croydon council’s antisocial behaviour team obtained the orders against an Upper Norwood woman and a Thornton Heath woman.
The court was told the Upper Norwood woman held 48-hour parties – with people coming and going throughout the day and night – and constantly played loud music, despite receiving several warnings.
Noise level recordings taken from her property were described by council officers as ‘appalling’.
Surrounding residents said she had caused significant harassment, alarm and distress as a result of her and her associates’ behaviour. This continued for 14 years until one brave resident decided enough was enough, took a stand, and complained to the council about the Upper Norwood woman’s behaviour.
Her neighbours, the ASB team and South Norwood SNT worked together to bring the case to court. “The evidence presented at court was so compelling that the woman did not contest the ASBO” said Croydon council in a statement.
The ASBO conditions imposed on the Upper Norwood woman mean that she must NOT:
- Engage In any behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to her neighbours, their families, friends, visitors, or any other residents living in Kitley Gardens, Upper Norwood or any location within the London borough of Croydon;
- Cause any noise nuisance anywhere in the London borough of Croydon and particularly within the vicinity of Kitley Gardens, Upper Norwood. For the avoidance of doubt noise nuisance Includes but is not limited to(a) playing loud music including loud amplified music (b) playing excessively loud music within her vehicle (c) playing her television excessively loud (d) loud singing, swearing, and shouting;
- Operate machinery in her garden which disturbs other residents including but not limited to: chainsaws (unless carrying out necessary gardening works during reasonable times of the day);
- Use threatening, insulting or racially or non-racially abusive behaviour towards her neighbours, their families, friends or visitors, or any other residents living in Kitley Gardens, Upper Norwood, or any location within the London borough of Croydon;
- Throw any items or missiles including water at any person or their property;
- Damage any property not belonging to her;
- Assault or threaten to assault any person;
- Damage or threaten to damage any neighbouring residential properties;
- Cause a nuisance by burning wood or any other material in her back garden and/or hanging items on the fence bordering any neighbouring properties;
- Cause an Intentional nuisance by knocking or using any other method of transmitting noise directly through the wall into neighbouring properties. There shall be no knocking or banging between 22:00 and 09:00 am;
- Encourage, aid or instruct anyone else to carry out the prohibitions listed above.
The court heard that the Thornton Heath woman shouted and swore at her neighbours if they parked near her house, played excessively loud music from her car late at night, and was confrontational if challenged about her behaviour. On one occasion, she was caught dumping an oily substance on another neighbour’s pathway.
She also made a number of false and malicious complaints about her neighbours to the police and Croydon council, wasting officers’ time spent in investigating them.
Her neighbours and the council’s antisocial behaviour (ASB) team worked together with Bensham Manor SNT (safer neighbourhoods team) to gather the evidence required to secure the ASBO.
The ASBO for the Thornton Heath woman means that she must not:
- engage in conduct that causes, or is likely to cause alarm, distress or harassment to any person within the London borough of Croydon;
- engage in any behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to her neighbours or any other resident or individual of Bridport Road, Warwick Road or the surrounding area;
- force entry onto any neighbouring properties on Bridport Road, Warwick Road or the surrounding area;
- contact Croydon council’s anti-social behaviour department in an abusive or obstructive manner, to make unnecessary complaints or to advise she wishes to escalate her complaints unnecessarily to another member of staff at Croydon council;
- assault or threaten to assault any person;
- be racially abusive to any person or make sexually explicit remarks to any person;
- cause disturbance by playing loud music from any device or out of any vehicle between the hours of 21:00 and 08:00 in the area of the London borough of Croydon;
- use language or behaviour towards any person whether on the telephone or in person which would cause or be likely to cause any person harassment, alarm or distress;
- encourage, aid or instruct anyone else to carry out the prohibitions listed above.
Both orders last for five years – and both women have been warned that if they do not obey any part of their order they will be committing a further offence and may face fines of up to £5,000 or be sent to prison for up to five years.
Cllr Simon Hoar, cabinet member for community safety, said: “People should not have to live in fear, nor face constant disturbance from others who refuse to give them any consideration or respect. “The ASBOs send out a clear message that if we work together we can make a difference to Croydon’s neighbourhoods, and improve life for many people.” (Source: Croydon council press release)
