Anti-social behaviour

What is anti-social behaviour?

Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) is defined as "Behaviour by a person which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as the person" (Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003 & Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011)

Which types of complaints we will not investigate under the ASB umbrella - other complaints may apply but are not shown on this list.

• normal domestic living noise
• domestic/commercial CCTV systems
• children playing - including football games in public open spaces
• access/egress and boundary disputes
• disputes over allocated parking bays
• parking outside schools, on pavements or parking on the highway
• invasive plant species (such as Japanese Knotweed/Giant Hogweed)
• criminal offences

What effect can anti-social behaviour have?

The impact on the quality of life for those affected by ASB can be severe. It can affect people's self- esteem, their perceived safety in their own home and their mental and physical wellbeing. In the most severe cases, it can have tragic consequences and it is often the most vulnerable in society who are at most risk from the effects of ASB.

Our principles

Whatever your concern, the team endeavours to meet the following standards when dealing with an anti-social behaviour complaint:

• Listen to you and take your problem seriously.
• Take action or give advice to try to resolve the problems you have reported.
• Try to prevent the problems happening again.
• Support you and keep you informed.
• Tell you what they have done.

Reasons we may not investigate

• The complainant/s have not first spoken to the person causing the problem.
  • Note: We do not recommend putting yourself or your family at risk by approaching violent or aggressive people. In such cases, calling the Police might be more appropriate.
• The complaint was made anonymously.
• The complaint is malicious or motivated by prejudice.
• The complaint is a one-off incident.
• The complainant or perpetrator is a tenant of a social housing provider.
• The complainant refuses mediation.
• The complaint is about clash of lifestyles.
• The complaint is about gatherings of young people.
• The complainant does not re-contact us.

Closing current complaints

During the life of any complaint we reserve the right to close the investigation and take no further action. One of the main reasons we close a complaint is that we do not hear back from the complainant after initial contact. 

In some case investigations, a complaint runs out of steam without a resolution in sight because of lack of evidence or witnesses, or we may not have an identified perpetrator. It is difficult to pursue a case when only one person complains, we often need supporting evidence to continue.

Costs may be prohibitive if capital expenditure is required for fencing, gating, bollards, lighting, youth provision etc. Legal remedies may not be available such as road or footpath closures and limiting access to certain areas. Investigating a complaint can often take several months and complainants sometimes get frustrated and back out. Ultimately if legal action is pursued, then the final decision is out of our control.

If you are experiencing problems with anti-social behaviour or other community safety issues, you can report an issue using the button below or call the Police non-emergency number 101. In an emergency always call 999.

Useful information:

• What is the definition of anti-social behaviour? (opens new window)
• How can I gather evidence? (opens new window)