Getting noisy neighbours to put a sock in it

“This problem is not only caused by students. I have experienced, and continue to experience loud music, shouting, aggressive behaviour and other anti- social behaviour. This can happen at anytime. However, the normal time is from late evening - 11.00pm - until, sometimes, 9.00 am. It is not isolated to weekends but occurs anytime during the week, which affects my sleep and, consequently, my performance at work. The perpetrators are unemployed. They then sleep all day without a care in the world.

The Police do not want to know. The Environmental Health seem to be tentative concerning action to resolve the issue. Therefore, I'm left in a complete dilemma.

Nuisance neighbours tend to be the irresponsible, disrespectul and self-centred, and not necessarily only the city's students!”

“Rowdy 'students' (in and around the Mutley area especially) often in large groups, shouting at the top of their voices and usually into the early hours of the mornings have become a blight to local residents, many of whom are elderly and/or living on their own. This isn't a new problem, but it is a growing one - and one well known to the police - as the crime/complaints statistics show.

It's time for the police to warn the university that a zero tolerance attitude will be taken with offenders, and police resources deployed accordingly to deal with the situation. A night in the cells, followed by official cautions and names passed on to the university where appropriate will help. The university also needs to take responsibility, and where appropriate remove students from their courses to show that they too are willing to adopt a zero tolerance attitude to this problem. Repeat offenders should get no second chance and be charged by the police and expelled by the university. Landlords too should be heavily fined if there are repeated complaints received about their properties and they fail to take action to control/evict their tenants. Only when the authorities act together forcefully on this issue will the city make progress in this matter and finally give residents the peace they deserve and pay highly for through their council tax.”

“The Student Lets normally have a Yearly Contract so by the time you have complained, then investigated, letters sent out and everything processed etc they have moved out and you have to start all over again with the new interns!!!!”

“Get all students to pay rates because again the council pick up the bill for the noise the rubbish when they leave their residence. Not only that i was leaving the city the other night after a very enjoyable meal with family and friends when passing student accommodation one of these students running towards me like a lunatic shouting out I stopped to avoid him being Knocked down then he bangs on the top of my car frightening me and my passengers, then the idiot runs behind me and lays in the middle of the road likely to be run over and the motorist likely to be blamed, I did not confront this idiot because I would put myself in danger. I then proceeded on to Penny come quick round about heading in the outside lane when some other idiot climbs out of a taxi and runs right in front of me without even looking running across the round about. I am a pensioner and I feel threatened for venturing into plymouth safely.”

“I had a neighbour whose dog used to bark for six hours every day. I tried to discuss it with him but to no avail so, as a last resort, and having recorded everything in a diary for twelve months, I reported it to the council. They spoke to the dog owner but not to me and they didn't want to see my diary record. The neighbour denied that the dog barked, the council believed them and took no further action. Useless.”