Reporting Neighbours (long)

[MrsSnape]

Not sure if I've done the wrong thing here...

But the woman opposite has two teenage sons who she doesn't even try and control. One has been expelled from the toughest secondary school in the city and the other (14) spends his time hanging around drinking outside the local shops.

I think the older one (16) must have some kind of curfew because he never seems to leave his front garden, instead, all the chavs teenagers from the area flock to his garden.

For the past 4 or 5 weeks groups of them have been hanging around in his garden from 8pm onwards shouting, screaming, throwing stuff at each other, shouting sexual/crude comments down the street etc and this goes on until 2/3am. Many times I have been woken up at 2am by a loud scream followed by a load of laughing from outside.

We're having to sleep with windows closed which is uncomfortable and I just got out of hospital on Tuesday and was told I need lots of rest. Last night I felt crap and went to bed at pm and was woken up at 1am by screeching and shouting. I didn't get back to sleep until 4am and today I feel crap again

Anyway this morning I reported them to the council but I'm worried they'll find out who reported them. If they do, they'll make my life hell and I'm a single parent so kind of an easy target.

Have I done the wrong thing?

well..it's done now! so too late!

The council should not say who reported them but you had best have that conversation with them now.

They did say they wouldn't get to find out who reported them. I'm just sick of it, they're so selfish, why would they get away with it? makes me so

If you ever want to get them dealt with (ie moved) you need to report every instance. You should also call the police if they are being anti-social late at night, or abusive/harassing. It's not easy, but if you push it they may get moved eventually. Poor you xxx

not at all- and next time there are loads of them out in the street making a noise, i'd ring the local police station and say that you think that they are damaging cars- the police will most likely pop over to check on them, and hopefully they'll be put off hanging round there by that. You don't have to give your name when you ring, and even if you do, they won't tell them who called.

I second what TattooedGrrrl said, call the police and tell then that a large group of teens are causing a noise nuisance and behaving in an aggressive manner. They will come around and tell them to shift and SHOULD have a word with the parents.

Also - if he's on a tag then he's probably on bail or a YOT order, in which case causing nuisance/getting in trouble with police is very bad for him. Even if his mum won't enforce it, he should realise that himself if he has any brains. He will actually be jeopardising his freedom if he keeps getting in trouble with the police, a fact that the police/youth offending will certainly point out to him.

Just keep calling the police. Depending on where you live they may/may not come all the time but you have to keep trying. Say they're selling drugs/damaging cars/playing with knives - whatever. The council need proof of misbehaviour to give them an ASBO.

DON'T talk to them about it yourself - avoid dealing with them personally at all cost.

I really sympathise with you - bad neighbours are so stressful.

PS - what do your other neighbours make of it? Any possibility you could get some support from them?