Equipment was seized from an address at Indells, Hatfield as the result of a local initiative to tackle noise nuisance.
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Operation Balsam was a joint initiative led by Hertfordshire Constabulary, working with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and the University of Hertfordshire, to coincide with the end of the university term.
The student occupants at the Hatfield address had previously been given advice by environmental health officers in relation to noise nuisance in April 2014. Continued complaints from residents led to a formal noise abatement notice being issued by the council, in addition to disciplinary action taken by the University. Further contact from residents resulted in a warrant to seize items that could produce noise.
Items seized by the council included two televisions, three PS3s, two stereos with speakers, two laptops, four laptop speakers and one docking station. The occupants will have to pay a total of £500 for the items to be returned.
Councillor Bernard Sarson, the council’s Executive Member for Governance and Public Health, said: “Inconsiderate and anti-social noise can be a real blight on people’s lives. The aim of the initiative was to take a balanced approach and ask perpetrators to consider their neighbours. Where those efforts are unsuccessful we will take firm action to stop further disturbance to other residents, as this case clearly demonstrates.”
Welwyn Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood Inspector, Ian Grout, said: “We were pleased to assist Environmental Health Officers with this warrant as part of Operation Balsam, which is a partnership approach to tackling noise and anti-social behaviour. I hope the residents in Indells will notice a difference following the removal of this equipment.”
Geraldine Ward, deputy dean of students at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “It is important that we teach our students to be good neighbours, particularly at this time of year when students are celebrating end of term and exam success. We play an active-role in night-time patrols and are dedicated to working with residents and students to resolve any concerns. It is disappointing that on this occasion further disciplinary action had to be taken.”
Under Operation Balsam, an extended noise nuisance service was in operation from 12 May to 29 May until 3am every night. This special service, funded by the University of Hertfordshire, ran in addition to the regular out-of-hours noise service which operates on Friday and Saturday nights, 10pm to 3am. To report a noise complaint during these hours, call 0800 1114484 or the police non-emergency number,101.
