A WOMAN has been evicted from her York home after her dogs barked relentlessly over a four-year period.

City of York Council says York County Court granted it an order to evict the tenant from her home in Lincoln Street, Leeman Road, for repeated anti-social behaviour caused by her Jack Russell terriers' barking.

It said Samantha Flower, 44, failed to control the 'relentless' barking over a four-year period, which impacted on her neighbours, causing them to complain regularly.

It said officers had visited Ms Flower and advised her to get her dogs trained, but she ignored this advice and was issued a noise abatement notice and later cautioned.

She continued to allow the noise nuisance throughout the summer and autumn of 2020 which led to the council prosecuting her for four offences of breach of the noise abatement notice.

The offences were denied by Ms Flower, but she was convicted by magistrates, who fined her in August for failing to comply with a noise abatement notice, which required her to stop her dogs causing a nuisance to her neighbours, said a spokesperson.

They said this broke her tenancy agreement and breached a Suspended Possession Order granted in May 2019.

They said Ms Flowers told the court that she had attempted to soundproof her home, and that she had rehomed one of her dogs because of the issues but still had two dogs at the property.

Cllr Denise Craghill, executive member for housing and safer neighbourhoods, said such prolonged and loud nuisance was unacceptable, and especially so during a pandemic, when everyone’s sensitivities were heightened.

"Complaints to the council of dogs barking rose by an extra 48 during the pandemic – that’s a 26 per cent increase compared to the same period last year," she said.

“If you have to leave your dog at home for any period of time, you must make sure that you train it to be quiet when it is alone, so it doesn’t disturb your neighbours.

"If your dog does bark when alone, especially for long periods each day, you should seek advice and consider whether it is fair on either neighbours or the dog itself to continue in that way.

“The action by neighbours and officers shows that by not acting on notices or orders, and by persisting with anti-social behaviour, tenants risk losing their home.”

*The council said anyone with concerns about unacceptable and persistent levels of noise should visit https://www.york.gov.uk/noise for more details or to report it online, or, to report noise from domestic properties, contact the Neighbourhood Enforcement team on (01904) 551555.