SHHH! was the message from councils around North Yorkshire today on National Noise Awareness Day.

Noise nuisance was targeted in a campaign to raise awareness of its full impact.

City of York Council held training sessions on how to solve noise nuisance problems, while Hambleton District Council mounted an exhibition for the public.

"Excessive noise can affect everyone's quality of life, as well as causing distress and disturbance, and even damage to health in extreme circumstances." said Mike Southcombe, City of York Council's acting environmental protection manager.

"We want to make people aware of what the law is, what powers we have and what they have, and how they can help to solve these problems."

"Noise is unwanted sound and whilst sound is essential in our daily lives, noise is not," said cabinet spokesman for environmental health, Coun David Blades.

"It can cause disruption and distress at home, at leisure and at work.

"We are asking that everyone supports this day and considers the noise they make and how it affects others as well as the noises that disturb them - it may not be the loudness of the noise that is the problem, but the time it occurs."

Updated: 15:23 Wednesday, June 04, 2003