Sparrow
26-05-07, 05:07 PM
Just spotted this on the Sky news website:
Noisy Neighbours 'So Stressful'
Noisy neighbours cause people more stress than being in a fight, moving house or starting a new job, a study claims.
Loud music is the most common complaint - followed by shouting and barking dogs.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1540129.jpg
Most people do not bother to report noisy neighbours to the police because they are too frightened, according to the report by insurance firm Direct Line.
One in 10 homeowners had problems with their neighbours, but they were scared to do anything about it or did not know what their legal rights were.
The problem of noisy neighbours has increased in recent years, with many people complaining of lack of sleep or even illness.
The survey of over 2,300 adults showed the most common complaints included loud music and barking dogs.
Liverpool was the worst place for neighbour noise, followed by Bradford, Leeds, London and Edinburgh, according to the report.
Andrew Lowe of Direct Line said: "Homeowners feel that they have nowhere to turn in dealing with nightmare neighbours, and are not reporting incidents to the police or local authority.
"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."
David Moxon, doctor of psychology at University of Peterborough, commented: "The problem with noisy neighbours is that it's a constant worry for homeowners and there is no getting away from it, meaning that it affects people in their everyday lives.
"If people do have troublesome neighbours, I'd urge them not to ignore the problem as it could be affecting their health."
Noisy Neighbours 'So Stressful'
Noisy neighbours cause people more stress than being in a fight, moving house or starting a new job, a study claims.
Loud music is the most common complaint - followed by shouting and barking dogs.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1540129.jpg
Most people do not bother to report noisy neighbours to the police because they are too frightened, according to the report by insurance firm Direct Line.
One in 10 homeowners had problems with their neighbours, but they were scared to do anything about it or did not know what their legal rights were.
The problem of noisy neighbours has increased in recent years, with many people complaining of lack of sleep or even illness.
The survey of over 2,300 adults showed the most common complaints included loud music and barking dogs.
Liverpool was the worst place for neighbour noise, followed by Bradford, Leeds, London and Edinburgh, according to the report.
Andrew Lowe of Direct Line said: "Homeowners feel that they have nowhere to turn in dealing with nightmare neighbours, and are not reporting incidents to the police or local authority.
"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."
David Moxon, doctor of psychology at University of Peterborough, commented: "The problem with noisy neighbours is that it's a constant worry for homeowners and there is no getting away from it, meaning that it affects people in their everyday lives.
"If people do have troublesome neighbours, I'd urge them not to ignore the problem as it could be affecting their health."