Noise nuisance - burglar alarms
What we can do about them
To assist us in dealing with misfiring burglar alarms, a keyholder database is being compiled on behalf of The Metropolitan Police. This link takes you to a site that provides all the information you need to register details of your keyholders. If you have not re-registered with this new database, you need to do so now. The old lists, that used to be kept by police stations, have NOT been transferred.
If you have an intruder alarm installed, you are required by law:
- To ensure that it meets BS 4737 for the installation, operation and maintenance of the alarm.
- To ensure the alarm has a 20 minute cut-off device fitted.
- To notify the Council about the installation - the alarm company will give you the appropriate form.
- To notify the police of 2 keyholders.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993, allows Councils to turn off intruder alarms if they are causing a nuisance. Once a nuisance has been established we can serve a Noise Abatement Notice on the Owner or Occupier or if the Owner or Occupier cannot be found we post the Notice at the property. This requires the owner or occupier to deactivate the alarm.
We endeavour to contact any listed keyholders or the owners/occupiers of the premises.
If after one hour an alarm is still sounding and the owner or occupier has not been found, the law allows us to deactivate the alarm. If we enter your property we will gain a warrant of entry from a magistrate. We take every care not to cause damage and use specialist companies contracted to us to open doors.
Occasionally it will not necessary to enter a property, we may be able to silence the alarm from the outside.
After entering a property we will ensure that is left secure. If locks are damaged we will replace the damaged locks of equal or better quality. Whenever we enter a property and leave it secured we leave a notice inside to inform the owner or occupier a copy of the warrant. The Police are informed of the action we take so that owners or occupiers who return to their properties to find that we have silenced the alarm can immediately be informed of the action and the reason for it.
The council is able to recover the costs incurred in silencing the alarm.
