Westminster comes top of noise league Times Newspapers Ltd

WESTMINSTER was today revealed to be the noisiest borough in the UK, with more than 9,800 residents complaining about noise pollution in the past year.

The area was one of seven from the capital in the country’s top 10 - with Haringey second after 9,500 people called the local council to protest about excessive noise.

In Westminster, one in every 25 residents made a complaint - but only one offender was given an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo).

Tower Hamlets was third rowdiest with 6,252 people appealing to their council to take action to reduce noise.

There was a total of 79,262 complaints about noise from private residences across the capital.

Newcastle, Belfast and Edinburgh were the only areas outside London to make the top 10.

Hans Schreuder, managing director of Rockwool, the insulation company which carried out the research, said: “Noise pollution is a key concern for residents in London.

“Many householders are relying on their local authority to take appropriate steps to protect their health. Living with persistent noise is extremely stressful and can have a severe impact on an individual's physical and psychological wellbeing.”

Cabinet member for community safety at Westminster Council, Daniel Astaire, said: “Westminster is one of the most densely populated areas in the UK and this kind of cheek-by-jowl living, which so many people enjoy, can create problems with noise.

“To combat this, we are the only local authority in the UK to run a 24-hour noise team and we respond to 97 per cent of calls within 45 minutes. We take a tough line with those who blight the peace - last year we prosecuted 20 people over noise and served 862 noise abatement notices.”

The least number of complaints were on the Isles of Scilly, where none was recorded in the whole year.

"Westminster is one of the most densely populated areas in the UK and this kind of cheek-by-jowl living, which so many people enjoy, can create problems with noise"

London top 10 noise complaints in the past year.

1 Westminster 9,814

2 Haringey 9,500

3 Newham 6,352

4 Tower Hamlets 6,252

5 Hackney 5,695

6 Waltham Forest 5,607

7 Lambeth 5,174

8 Brent 4,658

9 Redbridge 4,138

10 Lewisham 3,709

Source: Rockwool