Find out how best to deal with antisocial behaviour, damage to property, fly-posting and nuisance or noise from neighbours and businesses.
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This can include but is not limited to nuisance behaviour, intimidation and harassment, vehicle related nuisance and street drinking. The council recognises that anti-social behaviour can have a detrimental impact on the quality of life of those in the community and we work in partnership with police, housing and other agencies to deal with it. If you are currently experiencing ASB and wish to report the matter, please use the form below.
Report antisocial behaviour incidents
Click here to read the full notice of the making of the Public Spaces Protection order. Click here to read the Northumberland County Council (alcohol) Public Spaces Protection Order for the consumption of alcohol.
To find information on Public space orders for dogs click here
If someone’s life or health is threatened, or a crime is in progress, call 999 and alert the police. This can include, but is not limited to, activity such as criminal damage, assault, theft and threatening behaviour. Anti-social behaviour can be a one-off incident, such as a piece of offensive graffiti, but often it is a series of low-level incidents which, when they continue, can become very distressing. If someone else’s behaviour is having a negative impact on you or your family and is causing you alarm, harassment or distress:
Report an antisocial behaviour problem online here.
For us to be able to take action in relation to anti-social behaviour, we need to show that it is persistent and continuing and that it is having a detrimental effect on those in the locality. It is therefore useful for customers to keep a diary of incidents they believe to be anti-social, which can help us to establish the level of impact. If the problem is only related to noise nuisance, read our advice in the statutory nuisance section. All complaints are confidential, so you don’t need to worry about your identity being revealed. We can also accept anonymous calls providing we have enough information to investigate the incident.
In order to investigate we need details of all the issues causing a problem. It is helpful to know:
How long the problem has been going on.
How regularly it occurs.
The location of the problem.
If it tends to occur at a particular time.
Who is affected.
Any details you have about the person who is causing the problem.
If you or the person causing the problem lives in a rented property, it may be helpful to liaise with the landlord to help to resolve the problem, so it is useful to know the tenure of your property.
Once we’ve collected all the information we need from you, we’ll provide you with a contact officer who is responsible for investigating your complaint and will keep you updated. We may liaise with the police, social landlords and other tenants to get a better understanding of the issues and corroborate the allegations. We may also speak to the other party if they are known, with your agreement, to see if the problems can be resolved informally. In some cases, we may seek the views of other residents in the area, to see if anyone else is experiencing similar problems. If we conclude a problem does exist, we will take action to resolve it. This may be an informal agreement, mediation, a warning or it could lead to a formal intervention using our legal powers, including a civil injunction or community protection notice.
“Domestic Homicide Review” (DHR) means a review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by— (a) a person to whom he was related or with whom he was or had been in an intimate personal relationship, or (b) a member of the same household as himself, held with a view to identifying the lessons to be learnt from the death. (Home Office Multi-agency Statutory Guidance for the Conduct of Domestic Homicide Reviews 2016) The purpose of a DHR is to:
Establish what lessons are to be learned from the domestic homicide regarding the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard victims
Identify clearly what those lessons are both within and between agencies, how and within what timescales they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result
Apply these lessons to service responses including changes to inform national and local policies and procedures as appropriate
Prevent domestic violence and homicide and improve service responses for all domestic violence and abuse victims and their children by developing a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to ensure that domestic abuse is identified and responded to effectively at the earliest opportunity
Contribute to a better understanding of the nature of domestic violence and abuse and
Highlight good practice.
Reviews should illuminate the past to make the future safer and it follows therefore that reviews should be professionally curious, find the trail of abuse and identify which agencies had contact with the victim, perpetrator or family and which agencies were in contact with each other. The Community Safety partnership has a duty publish the overview report and executive summary relating to such reviews and you will find relevant reports on this page. If you require further information, you should email the DHR review team at Dhr@Northumberland.gov.uk Current executive summaries. SARAH 2016 JULIA 2015 Mrs A 2014
We receive numerous complaints regarding ball games. However, the legislation available to the council is unsuitable for preventing children playing football or other games in public areas. As an impartial service, we have to ensure that we do not unfairly label some playing of games by children as anti-social. We also recognise that some children choose to play close to their home because it feels safer.
We do not erect ‘No Ball Games’ signs as they are unenforceable and can raise public expectations, which we may be unable to resolve. Many children are unaware that the activity is causing any concern to others, and should you feel comfortable to do so, we would in the first instance recommend talking to them or their parents. You may be able to reach an agreement that is mutually acceptable. If you are a parent of a child that likes to play games near your home, please encourage them to be mindful of other residents, to be aware of the impact of noise and inappropriate language, and to use a soft ball where possible to reduce the likelihood of damage.
If intentional or reckless damage has been caused by the playing of such games, we would suggest contacting Northumbria Police who will respond accordingly. You may also consider contacting the local police if you feel that the number of children playing is excessive and/or continues into unsociable hours.
Your local neighbourhood police team can be contacted by calling 101 or you can make a report via their web page.
The regulation of CCTV cameras or other recording equipment by members of the public does not fall under the remit of Northumberland County Council. We do not possess the appropriate powers, and as such we cannot deal with matters relating to the private use of CCTV. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) can give further advice around the use of CCTV both for CCTV users and those who believe they are being filmed. You can find further information here: ICO Guidance
What is ASB? Anti-social behaviour (ASB) covers a lot of different types of behaviour and can affect people in many different ways. For the purpose of the Community Trigger, ASB means behaviour causing or likely to cause nuisance, annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress to any member of the public or which may have a detrimental effect on someone’s quality of life.
A Community Trigger (also known as an ASB Case Review) is an important statutory safety net for victims and communities experiencing ASB, to request a review of their ASB case and to bring agencies together to take a joined up, problem solving approach to find a solution for the victim(s). An activation should be made where the Threshold is met and where victims are unsatisfied with the response they have received from the relevant agencies. In essence, the Community Trigger process is designed to put victims at the heart of the case investigation process and for agencies to ensure you feel supported and listened to. Threshold In Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, the threshold to activate a Community Trigger is: At least three qualifying complaints have been made about anti-social behaviour in the past 6 months and/or; The victim(s) of ASB are considered to be ‘high risk' How to Activate a community Trigger? In Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Community Trigger activations across all of the 6 Local Authorities are coordinated by the Northumbria Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner who will:
Acknowledge receipt of your Community Trigger request.
Contact you to discuss your case and obtain further information.
Liaise with the relevant Community Safety Partnerships.
Share information with agencies who are responsible for managing anti-social behaviour.
Record and publish relevant data relating to Community Trigger activations.
If you meet the threshold for the Community Trigger you can contact the OPCC to raise a request in the following ways: Online form accessed here Email: enquiries@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk Phone number: 0191 221 9800 Postal address: Community Trigger Activation Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Victory House Balliol Business Park Benton Lane Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8EW Click here for information on the publishing data about the Community Trigger
The law generally allows people to have a bonfire at any time of the day providing that the smoke given off from the fire does not cause a ‘statutory nuisance’ to other people's premises. The law relating to statutory nuisance is set out in The Environmental Protection Act 1990 s.79 - s.80. In assessing nuisance, officers would look to the severity of the problems the fire was causing for example the amount of smoke created, where it was drifting and the effects it was causing in other people’s property. Additionally, we would consider how often the problems occur and how long they go on for when they do occur. Generally, for a nuisance to be suffered the smoke from the bonfire must affect other people's premises to such an extent that normal use of those premises is not possible. Conditions that may give rise to a statutory nuisance could be:
smoke entering people's houses
smoke blowing across gardens and preventing normal use of the garden
smoke affecting people's washing or
hot ash and cinders landing on people's property.
Additionally, where the effects of the fire have a detrimental, unreasonable and persistent effect on a locality they could be classed as anti-social behaviour and action such as a Community Protection Notice could be taken under the Police, Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2014. Under the Highways Act 1980 a person responsible for lighting a fire which causes smoke to drift across a road faces a fine if it endangers traffic. (Please contact the Police for further information if these circumstances arise). The council would normally discourage the use of garden fires for disposing of waste as there are several more appropriate methods. Click on the link for further information on disposing of household waste, bulky waste, hazardous waste and garden waste. There is also information on composting and recycling.
If you are concerned about statutory nuisance, you can:
Talk to the person causing the problem, as they may be unaware the behaviour is disturbing you.
Contact specialist officers at the council who can advise you and investigate the matter if necessary.
Investigations into nuisance will assess:
How severe the problem is.
How often it occurs.
How long it lasts for.
You will be required to complete a log or diary for a minimum period of two weeks this will help demonstrate the frequency, duration and severity of the problem and how it is impacting on you. On receipt of your completed diary an Officer will assess the diary to decide if the problem requires further investigation. If so, efforts will be made to try and obtain evidence of the existence of a nuisance. This may be by installing equipment to record the problem or by visiting your property to see it first-hand. This information will then be assessed to decide if the problem is serious enough and whether there is sufficient evidence to deal with the matter as a statutory nuisance. If so, the person responsible will be given a legal notice which requires them to stop or reduce the activity to a level where it does not cause a nuisance. This could be effective immediately or by a notice period. The person who receives the notice has a legal right to appeal against it. Therefore, officers need to be able to provide evidence in court, such as results of monitoring, log sheets or witness statements. In some cases, statutory nuisance is only one aspect of a problem that could include abusive, threatening or antisocial behaviour. Officers will still be able to give advice and investigate these matters as part of, or alongside, a nuisance investigation.
Report damage to a council property problem here.
Criminal damage is defined by the police as follows: “Criminal damage refers to crimes where any person, without lawful excuse, intentionally or recklessly destroys or damages any property belonging to another. Activities resulting in non-permanent damage (i.e. that can be rectified, cleaned off or removed at no cost) such as letting down car tyres, should not be classed as criminal damage, nor should accidental damage.” Damage to a council property on the other hand covers crimes against households and household property including cars.
Report graffiti online here.
We will remove graffiti from any property in Northumberland. A small fee may be charged in some cases. We’ll also ask the property owner to sign a disclaimer, as the removal process can sometimes damage certain surfaces. We aim to remove any obscene graffiti within 24 hours of receiving a report.
To view our graffiti and fly poster removal policy, click here.
Your community safety officer is Darren Dougan.
Darren has been a community safety officer for over 10 years and has extensive knowledge of his area. He works closely with Northumbria Police and support services and has a strong background working in housing. He previously worked for Blyth Valley Borough Council. Darren helps coordinate the Blyth area multi agency meeting at which local community safety issues are tackled using a problem-solving approach. He works closely with other partners such as police and housing and has excellent working links with a variety of support agencies. Latest News If you are experiencing anti-social behaviour in the Blyth area you can contact Darren via Public Protection:
Phone: 0345 600 6400
Or via email here
Your community safety officer is Judith Davis Judith has been a community safety officer for 12 years following a 10 year career as a police officer. She has an extensive knowledge of the Alnwick and Amble areas and the community safety issues that affect them. She works closely with police and other agencies and has strong links with schools as part of her education and engagement role. Alongside colleagues from Public Protection she helps coordinate the local multi agency meetings where community safety issues are discussed and tackled using a problem-solving approach. Judith deals with anti-social behaviour and nuisance from all residents, irrespective of whether or not they are council tenants. Education work After being unable to visit schools due to COVID 19, Judith is returning to her educational work, delivering education around the safe and legal use of social media and other topics that affect young people. During the winter and the dark nights, her work will be focusing on keeping young people safe when they are by themselves or with friends. COVID-19 has seen the use of social media increase as young people were unable to socialise face to face. If you have concerns around your child's use of social media, you can contact Judith for advice and resources that can help you. If you would like to know more or would like a visit to your school or organisation, please get in touch via email here Latest News Judith is working with police to tackle issues of anti-social behaviour in and around the Alnwick area. The bus station has been an area of particular concern and as a result CCTV is now in place and being monitored by police. Any incidents should be reported to police or NCC giving the nature of the incident along with a date and time. This will allow scrutiny of the CCTV footage to take place.
If you would like to report any community safety issue or get further information on any of the topics mentioned, you can contact Judith via Public Protection: Phone: 0345 600 6400 or via email here
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