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Q75: A house / business burglar alarm is going off, what can I do?

Answer

The police will only attend alarms installed in line with the National Police Chiefs' Council's (NPCC) Security Systems Policy. The majority of domestic alarms do not comply with that policy by virtue of the fact they are audible only systems.

The police will also respond to domestic alarms, when there is some evidence of criminal activity. Should there be an activation and there is evidence of criminal activity or you see something suspicious, please dial 999. It is not advisable to put yourself in danger by making checks yourself.

If false activations are a persistent problem, contact the local council or see the question in Related Information about noisy neighbours.

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Answer

In the first instance, we would advise that you approach your neighbour directly in an attempt to resolve the situation. They may not be aware that the volume level is so high it can be heard by others. You should always ensure that any contact does not escalate the situation. If you have already tried to resolve this directly with your neighbour, you should contact your local authority who will have a specific department to deal with such issues. 

For long-term problems, you may be asked by your local authority to keep a diary of information about the noise, such as when it occurs, how loud it is etc., and in some cases you may be provided with some equipment to record the noise. These two steps are designed to gather evidence.

If the council then decides that someone is causing a statutory noise nuisance, they must issue a 'noise abatement' order (i.e. a chance for them to turn the noise down), which if broken can lead to a fine. However, the whole process can take some time to complete.

The council may also issue warning notices in response to complaints about noise above permitted levels from 11pm to 7am. These warning notices can be used by councils for noise that’s not a statutory nuisance.

Depending on the type of noise, councils may have other ways of dealing with the situation. You should be guided by them. 

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Answer

Depending on the circumstances, the police may attend incidents like this. However, in the absence of other criminal offences being committed, the police have no powers of prosecution for noise offences, and it may be necessary for you to contact your local authority.

 

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We would advise you to contact your local authority if this is a persistent problem as the police have no powers to prosecute noise offences. 

All public houses and clubs are licensed by the local authority, so you should submit a formal complaint to them about this type of problem. If property owners take little or no notice of such complaints then they could put their license at risk.

 

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In the first instance, we would advise that you approach your neighbour directly in an attempt to resolve the situation. They may not be aware that it is happening. You should always ensure that any contact does not escalate the situation. If you have already tried this, the noise could amount to noise nuisance so, you should contact your local authority who will have a specific department to deal with such issues. 

Unless there is any evidence of the dog being mistreated then the RSPCA will not be able to help. If you do believe that the dog is being mistreated, you can contact the RSPCA. 

 

 

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If the car alarm is a false activation and not someone attempting to steal or break into the vehicle it would be advisable in the first instance to speak to your neighbour about the problem as they may not be aware what is happening. If the problem persists you should contact the Environmental Health department at your local council who have powers to deal with nuisance car alarms.

See the website in related information to find your local authority.

If you do see someone trying to break into a vehicle contact the police on 999 immediately.

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Question

Q75: A house / business burglar alarm is going off, what can I do?

Answer

The police will only attend alarms installed in line with the National Police Chiefs' Council's (NPCC) Security Systems Policy. The majority of domestic alarms do not comply with that policy by virtue of the fact they are audible only systems.

The police will also respond to domestic alarms, when there is some evidence of criminal activity. Should there be an activation and there is evidence of criminal activity or you see something suspicious, please dial 999. It is not advisable to put yourself in danger by making checks yourself.

If false activations are a persistent problem, contact the local council or see the question in Related Information about noisy neighbours.
 
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