Warning - Play it loud and you could lose it!

Date published: 09/01/2006

Residents who play music too loud are risking losing their equipment as well as facing a prosecution, Rochdale Council has warned.

The warning follows a case in Aragon Drive, Heywood, where a large stereo system with four loudspeakers together with a midi hi-fi was seized following persistent nuisance.

The resident had been served with a notice under the Environmental Protection Act (1990), in September last year, but this notice was breached at the end of October.

Because of the breaches, the resident lost his equipment just before Christmas.

The offender cannot have the equipment returned for at least four weeks. To have it returned he would need to offer proof of ownership and pay the costs of seizing and storing the equipment. If its not claimed it will be stored and eventually disposed of.

Louise Green, Environmental Protection Officer said, "We are determined to use whatever methods and resources are available to us to reduce noise nuisance.

"This is the first time under our new procedure that we have seized noise equipment, with a prosecution to follow. Needless to say, we would prefer to resolve complaints informally through co-operation, but this case shows we
are serious about using the powers we have."