Noise squad gears up for action after baking summer forecast

York Council's environmental protection unit has experienced soaring levels of demand throughout previous summers after officers have been inundated with hundreds of calls from victims.

Weather experts have predicted that 2010 could witness the best summer in recent years, prompting concerns over a wave of complaints about noise as revellers take advantage of the soaring temperatures and lighter evenings.

Senior councillors yesterday remained adamant that there were enough resources available to cope with any increases in complaints, but admitted that a prolonged heatwave would place them under pressure.

York Council's executive member for neighbourhood services, Ann Reid, said: "I would hope that residents and visitors alike would respect neighbours in the city and behave in a responsible manner.

"But even if there is a particularly good summer, we will deal with any problems that arise. The noise patrols offer a very valuable service and they have helped out hundreds of residents in the past. The summer months are busy, but we have a dedicated team who will continue to follow-up any complaints and deal with them appropriately."

The city's noise patrol service was established four years ago this month and its officers have been responsible for a series of successful prosecutions across York.

Since the launch, staff have received more than 4,000 phone calls, made over 2,300 visits and issued in excess of 200 noise notices.

The council's environmental protection manager, Mike Southcombe, who also manages and participates in the noise patrol service, said: "You would be surprised what we hear and see on the noise patrol, many of our major problems are caused by noisy parties.

"Often the party-goers are under the influence of drink and drugs and the last thing they want is us telling them to be quiet. Even though these situations can sometimes be difficult, I'm confident that the service really works in tackling noise nuisance."

Summer forecasts have predicted that the Yorkshire region could see long spells of sunshine, temperatures expected to soar above 80C.

The Met Office has decided not to make a long-range summer forecast and instead is offering monthly predictions in the wake of criticism over its accuracy in recent years.

However, forecasters at Positive Weather Solutions, who predicted last summer's washout as well as the freezing winter, were confident yesterday that the UK was due to witness record temperatures.

Senior weather forecaster Jonathan Powell said: "While there could be periods of unsettled weather, we expect that the lion's share of the summer will be very nice, even up until late August and early September.

"We are due to have a hot summer this year."

A summer heatwave will mean an increasing workload for York's noise patrol officers, who have witnessed 69 noise offences since the launch of the service.

As a result, the environment protection unit has undertaken 37 seizures of noise generating equipment, including televisions, stereos, speakers, game stations and CDs.

Most noise complaints are dealt with informally, with a follow-up letter making people aware of the law. However, where there are persistent complaints, officers must serve a noise abatement notice before the case can be pursued through the courts.