Nuisance neighbours in York council homes have been discovering that their yobbish actions will no longer be tolerated.

Mike Laycock examines City of York Council's attitude towards antisocial behaviour - and reveals the allegations behind another eviction case which is heading for the courts.

Shouting, screaming, loud music, blaring TV, banging doors...

It's the sort of boorish behaviour which can drive neighbours up the wall, but which they might once have had to put up with - albeit despairingly.

But a recent spate of eviction stories in The Press has indicated that the times are a changing, certainly as far as tenants in City of York Council housing are concerned.

Psychologist Graham Burbage was kicked out of his council flat in Dringhouses after subjecting fellow residents to a decade of antisocial abuse, including

playing music or watching TV loudly late at night, and making banging noises and carrying out DIY activity late at night.

Jean McKenna, of Marjorie Waite Court, Clifton, was ordered to ensure that her behaviour, and that of her visitors, does not disturb her neighbours - or face eviction.

York County Court heard she had verbally abused wardens at the centre, and had allowed visitors to engage in loud arguments involving foul and abusive language.

Julie Stimpson, whose antisocial behaviour had plagued people living near her in Tostig Avenue, Acomb, for five years, was warned that she would be kicked out if she caused any more trouble.

The court heard her neighbours had been disturbed by late-night parties, loud music, shouting, screaming, swearing and domestic arguments.

So, is the council engaged in a new get-tough policy on nuisance neighbours, which will inevitably end up with an appearance in court?

No, says tenancy enforcement officer Neil McFarlane - only ten to 15 per cent of nuisance complaints are settled in court, and that figure has remained fairly constant.

He says the vast majority of cases are settled by other means, such as mediation between neighbours, which can result in agreements being reached - and kept - to keep the music down, to stop doing the DIY at 1am or to cease shouting, screaming and swearing out of the window.

Sometimes other agencies, such as the police, mental health workers or charities for the elderly are brought in and can help to resolve the problem, and antisocial behaviour injunctions can be used in a bid to tackle the problem without resorting to eviction.

But he says the council is determined that, when such approaches fail, eviction cases will be taken to court and a clear message will go out that every effort will be made to root out and deal with nuisance neighbours.

He doesn't think antisocial behaviour has necessarily increased in recent years, but thinks it likely that people are simply more aware the

authorities are prepared to step in, and therefore more likely to lodge complaints.

Tenant's eviction battle

THE Press reported on Saturday how several neighbours were supporting John Doherty as he fought to stay in his York council home.

City of York Council said it wanted to evict him from the flat in Trinity Lane, Bishophill, claiming he had broken an order to behave, imposed by York County Court last year.

But at least ten people had signed a petition saying they had found him to be a good neighbour, and opposing the eviction.

The allegations behind the council's claim can be revealed today in witness statements for the court hearing from two neighbours, Karen Merry and her mother, Barbara.

The pair hit the headlines last year when they agreed to give evidence against John Doherty in one of the most complex eviction cases York council has ever handled.

They were spared having to take the witness stand at York County Court after he agreed to an 18-month suspended possession order, which effectively gave him one last chance to alter his behaviour before being evicted.

He also agreed to a 12-month undertaking preventing him from harassing, molesting or pestering the Merrys.

Mr Doherty claimed he had made real efforts since the court case to be a quiet and good neighbour.

The Merrys have declined to comment to The Press, but their witness statements include a diary of numerous "incidents" which they claim to have

happened over the past year.

Karen, who uses a wheelchair after her leg was amputated three years ago, said Doherty's two boys had been playing snooker in a yard when they started singing loudly: "We are the champions of the street."

She said: "A little later, John came out to join them and for no apparent reason he shouted "b*****d" and looked at me."

Other alleged incidents included him:

Walking around the flats, staring into her windows

Playing loud house music from 10.30pm until 1am

Putting his TV on so loudly on three Saturday afternoons that she could hear it in her flat, with the racing on. The statement read: "We could also hear him shouting "come on, you b*****ds"

Playing loud music repeatedly on Christmas Day until she had eventually called the police, after which it stopped

Waking her one night at 2.30am by singing and wailing, accompanied by a sound like bottles being dropped in a bin.

She said: "I do worry that if John stays in his flat, this kind of harassment and nuisance will go on."

Updated: 08:44 Monday, May 01, 2006