A NOISY neighbour from Banbury with a taste for dance music has had their stereo and nine speakers taken away by police.

Cherwell District Council and Thames Valley Police officers seized stereo equipment from a flat off Middleton Road on Wednesday after music lover ignored repeated verbal and formal warnings.

Officers from the Environmental Protection Team obtained a warrant from Banbury Magistrates’ Court to gain entry to the property.

The items seized included a hifi system and nine speakers.

Cherwell will retain the equipment pending a review of the case, with owner having to pay administration fees and storage costs to have it returned.

Andrew McHugh, Cherwell’s Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “No matter how good people think their taste in music is, the chances are their neighbours will object to hearing it at full volume. 

“Most music fans know that there are lots of licensed venues in the Banbury area where they can enjoy loud music without causing a statutory nuisance.

"It’s even easier during the summer months when festivals such as Fairport's Cropredy Convention are running."

He added: “With this operation we’ve made it very clear that we will not hesitate to take decisive action to keep the peace when people are ignoring our warnings."

The intervention came after the individual ignored a community protection warning issued in March, a community protection notice issued in June, and an abatement notice sent in July. 

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, officers can serve abatement notices when music is played at a volume which causes a statutory nuisance.

Helping the council gather evidence to support its case, complainants used The Noise App, a smartphone programme which facilitates the recording of nuisance noise and behaviour.

More details can be found via cherwell.gov.uk/noiseapps