Anti-social behaviour

Fairway letters

'Fairways' are used as a way to inform parents/guardians that their child has been involved in anti-social behaviour. This gives parents a chance to deal with the behaviour within the family. Fairway letters can also be sent directly to adults.

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs)

ABCs are voluntary agreements between the person who has behaved unacceptably on three or more occasions, their parent/guardian (if aged under 18), the Police and the council. This gives the person who behaves unacceptably a chance to improve their behaviour without taking legal action.

Civil Injunction

A Civil Injunction, under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, is issued by a court to anyone aged over 10 and will include things which a person is not allowed to do and can also include positive requirements to get the person to address the underlying causes of their anti-social behaviour. We will consider using them if fairway letters and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts have not stopped a person behaving anti-socially if their behaviour is:

likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress
capable of causing nuisance or annoyance.

The evidence required is on the balance of probabilities, but we will need good quality evidence to submit to a court. One word against another will generally not be enough. Breach of a Civil Injunction is not a criminal offence.

Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs)

CBOs can be issued by any criminal court against a person who has been convicted of an offence. CBOs will be used to tackle those aged 10 or above who regularly behave anti-socially and who are also involved in criminal activity. As with Civil Injunctions, a CBO can include positive requirements to address the underlying causes of their anti-social behaviour and things which they are not allowed to do. Breach of a CBO is a criminal offence.

Parenting contracts

Parenting contracts are voluntary agreements between the council and parents of a child who is behaving anti-socially. They contain supportive measures aimed at improving parenting skills in order to help address the child’s behaviour.

Parenting orders

Parenting orders are civil orders issued by a court making parents of a child who is behaving anti-socially engage with support providers who can provide information to help with their parenting skills.

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs)

PSPOs can be introduced by the council to stop people, including groups, committing anti-social behaviour in a public space. They can restrict the consumption of alcohol, control the presence of dogs or restrict access to an area.

Closure Powers

Closure powers can be used when a property or piece of land, regardless of whether it is council-owned, rented or privately owned, is being used, or likely to be used, to commit nuisance or disorder.

Community Protection Notices (CPNs)

CPNs can be issued by the council or police to stop anyone aged 16 or over, business or organisation committing anti-social behaviour which spoils the communities quality of life. The behaviour must be persistent or continuing and be unreasonable. Examples of when a CPN can be used include noise nuisance and litter on private land.

For more information on these interventions, please contact us:

Email: safe.communities@eastriding.gov.uk

What anti-social behaviour enquiries do the council deal with?

If your enquiry relates to barking dogs, further information is available on the dog control page.

If your enquiry relates to domestic noise, such as noisy parties or loud music, further information is available on the noise pollution page.

Repairing vehicles on a regular basis can be disturbing for a neighbour. People are allowed to repair their own vehicles and repairs to other cars are generally tolerated. However repairing vehicles on a regular basis, especially other peoples’ vehicles may not be acceptable.

These can be complex to resolve as we will need to determine whether your neighbour is running a business from home and obtain specific details of their activity. If your neighbour is repairing vehicles on a regular basis, further information is available on the noise pollution page.

People are not allowed to park their vehicle in front of your driveway. Unless parking restrictions are in place (e.g. double yellow lines), vehicles can be parked anywhere else on a public highway. If a vehicle is obstructing your driveway or parking on double yellow lines, further information is available on the car parking enforcement page.

If groups of people are hanging around outside your neighbour’s property, unless they are behaving in an anti-social manner (e.g. swearing or shouting), there is nothing that can be done to stop them.

If they are shouting or swearing, you should contact Humberside Police immediately on 101.

If they are doing this on a regular basis, you should contact the council’s anti-social behaviour team by completing the following form, giving details of all occasions when the groups have been shouting or swearing, including who was responsible if you know who they are.

If your enquiry relates to high hedges or untidy hedgerows, further information is available on the trees and hedges page.

If your enquiry relates to untidy gardens can attract vermin if rubbish is not removed. We will be able to advise you on what action can be taken and further information is available on the litter page.

If your enquiry relates to the persistent burning of garden waste (bonfires), which is causing a nuisance due to smoke pollution, further information is available on the burning waste (bonfires) page.

How do I activate the community trigger?

Community trigger is a way that you can ask the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Humberside Police, local clinical commissioning group or your registered social landlord to review their responses to complaints of anti-social behaviour (ASB).

If you have already reported anti-social behaviour to Humberside Police, your registered social landlord, your local clinical commissioning group or the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the problem has not been resolved, you can use the community trigger to ask for a review of your case if:

an individual has reported at least three incidents of anti-social behaviour to the local authority, police, a registered housing provider (social landlord) and/or local clinical commissioning group in the last six months and they consider there has been no action taken or insufficient action has been taken, or
where at least five individuals in the local community have individually reported similar incidents of anti-social behaviour to the local authority, police, a registered housing provider (social landlord) and/or local clinical commissioning group in the last six months and they consider there has been no action taken or insufficient action has been taken given that they have had a reasonable time to respond.

This is known as ‘the threshold’. Account may be taken of the persistence of the antisocial behaviour, the harm or potential harm caused the adequacy of the response and whether it is hate-motivated.

ASB can include any of the things listed in the answer to the ‘What is anti-social behaviour?' question.

Anyone can activate the trigger, not just the victim. This may be a family member, carer, MP, councillor or friend for example. The victim can be an individual, a business or a community group.

The community trigger has been designed to make sure that partners work together to try to resolve your ASB complaint. We talk about the problem, share information and act together to try and resolve it.

It doesn't replace organisations' own complaints procedures and you still have the opportunity to complain to the ombudsman or Independent Police Complaints Commission if you are unhappy about the service you have received from an individual officer or service.

How to activate the community trigger

If you have complained about ASB to us, Humberside Police, your local clinical commissioning group or your registered social landlord and want to activate the community trigger, you can contact the manager of the anti-social behaviour team at the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and say that you want to activate the community trigger. We will consider whether your request meets the threshold so please think about this before making the request. If it does, we will review action taken by all agencies to address the ASB that you have reported.

You need to provide details of each time you have complained, to who (name, organisation and incident reference number - if you have one) and details of the anti-social behaviour.

You can do this by simply sending an email to safe.communities@eastriding.gov.uk.

Post

Write to:

Manager, anti-social behaviour team
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
County Hall
Cross Street
Beverley
HU17 9BA.

In person

Visit a customer service centre.

Phone

Telephone the anti-social behaviour team on (01482) 396380.

What happens next?

Once you have asked for a community trigger review the manager of the anti-social behaviour team will contact the agencies involved and ask them to provide details of your complaints. A minimum of two people from two different agencies decide if the threshold for review is met. You are then informed of their decision and are given reasons if the criteria to review your case have not been met.

If the threshold is met, a manager is allocated to your complaint and it is reviewed within 28 days. A meeting takes place between the appropriate agencies which may include the anti-social behaviour team, Humberside Police, the housing department, Environmental Control, registered housing providers, and other partners (if they are involved). During the meeting they discuss the anti-social behaviour and what actions have been considered and taken, they will also make recommendations of how the problem may be resolved. You will be informed of the outcome and where further actions are needed an action plan and timescales will be discussed with you.

If you are unhappy with the decision you can appeal to the housing services group manager at the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. They let you know of their decision within 28 days and if your appeal is successful they refer it back to the group for further review.

Requests to activate the Community Trigger and the response

For the period 20 October 2017 to 19 October 2018

The number of applications to activate the trigger - 2
The number of times the threshold for review was not met - 2
The number of anti-social behaviour case reviews carried out - 2
The number of anti-social behaviour case reviews that resulted in recommendations being made - 2

No requests were received for the same period in 2015/16 and 2016/17.

I've fallen out with my neighbour, what can I do?

If one of your neighbours is causing you a nuisance, we suggest that you talk to them as soon as possible, providing it is safe to do so. When talking to your neighbour, politely explain what they are doing and why this is causing you a nuisance. This will hopefully enable any potential problems to be addressed politely.

Neighbour disputes can be caused by many different things. Long-standing neighbour disputes can be very difficult to resolve and on many occasions, it is not possible for us to do anything about it. The people who suffer as a result of long-standing disputes are both neighbours and the best resolution is always for you to try and resolve the situation.

The following are examples of the types of things that can cause neighbour disputes:

barking dogs
ownership of land/fences/building new structures, such as sheds
noisy parties/loud music/domestic noise
repairing vehicles on the road/private driveway
parking vehicles in front of a neighbours house
groups of children hanging around waiting to see one of their friends who lives at a neighbour's property
hedgerows (high hedges or untidy hedges)
untidy gardens.

If you have spoken to your neighbour or feel that it is unsafe to do so you should contact the council and the landlord of your neighbour’s property if it is rented and you know who this is. If the landlord is not able or willing to help, you should contact the council. If your neighbour lives in a house owned by the council further information can be found on the council tenants page.

If they do not live in a council house, the following guidance should help us deal with your enquiry as quickly as possible.

What should I do if I am in dispute with my neighbour over the boundary of our properties?

Boundary disputes occur every day in one guise or another and these are not matters that the council can resolve.

Can I force my neighbour to repair a damaged fence?

Not usually, unless there is some kind of covenant on their property that forces the issue.

If the state of their fence is bothering you or causing security issues, there is no reason why you shouldn’t erect a fence of your own next to it.

You could offer to pay for the repairs yourself, if the neighbour simply can’t afford the repairs. If you do this, be sure to put the offer in writing and say that fence is a gift which doesn’t affect the boundary position at all. Keep a copy of your letter with the title deeds, to avoid any boundary confusion in the future.

If you put your own fence up on your own land, you need to be careful not to damage any of your neighbour's property, and make sure it fits in with all the relevant planning permission and bye-laws.

Adjoining neighbours can sometimes get into a dispute about the position and ownership of a particular boundary, be it a fence, wall, barrier or some other kind of boundary line. Often the boundary dispute will arise when one party wishes to use part of the land for something particular and the adjoining neighbour opposes that on the grounds that the other is encroaching upon their land.

Alternatively, arguments also arise where damage has been done to a particular fence or wall, for example, which then needs repair and the decision over who is going to pay the bill.

I'm having problems with ball games being played on and around my property. What can I do?

If young people are playing ball games in a manner that causes you a nuisance, you should try and speak to the parents (if known, and if it is safe to do so).

Before doing so remember, people are allowed to:

play football or other games in a safe manner on a piece of grass or other safe, publicly-owned area
hang around in a group in the street
make a reasonable amount of noise whilst playing.

If nuisance continues, the council may be able to help by redesigning an area of land that we own. Once you have tried to deal with the nuisance yourself, if it is safe to do so, you can:

If people are going into your garden to retrieve their ball without your permission, the council cannot prevent them from doing this. You may be able to take your own action to prevent them from doing this, such as redesigning your garden or even taking your own private legal action.

In many cases, a quick word with their parents should resolve the problem.

Can the council do anything about graffiti?

The council can assist you in getting the graffiti removed by completing the form below, telling us where the graffiti is:

The first thing we will do is find out who owns the property that the graffiti is on. If it's on your property we will be able to help get it removed with your permission.

Are there any Public Spaces Protection Orders in the East Riding?

Public Spaces Protection Orders came into force on 1 September 2016 in all parishes in the East Riding. They include controls over the presence and behaviour of dogs and some include restrictions on the consumption of alcohol or access to parts of the public highway.

Each order can be downloaded below and for those containing a restriction on the consumption of alcohol or access to parts of the public highway, a map is also included.

All orders will be reviewed by 31 August 2019.

Keywords

Download
Airmyn PSPO - sealed	Details	Download
Aldbrough CP Map - Sept 2016	Details	Download
Aldbrough PSPO - sealed	Details	Download
Allerthorpe PSPO - sealed	Details	Download
Anlaby PSPO - sealed	Details	Download
Anlaby with Anlaby Common CP Map - Sept 2016	Details	Download
Asselby PSPO - sealed	Details	Download
Atwick PSPO - sealed	Details	Download
Bainton PSPO - sealed	Details	Download
Barmby Marsh PSPO - sealed	Details	Download

Title

Details

Download

Airmyn PSPO - sealed

Aldbrough CP Map - Sept 2016

Aldbrough PSPO - sealed

Allerthorpe PSPO - sealed

Anlaby with Anlaby Common CP Map - Sept 2016

Asselby PSPO - sealed

Bainton PSPO - sealed

Barmby Marsh PSPO - sealed

Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (external website)

Breach of Public Spaces Protection Orders

All breaches of Orders regarding dogs should be reported to:

Email: dog.warden@eastriding.gov.uk

All breaches of Orders regarding the consumption of alcohol or access to parts of the public highway where restrictions are in place should be reported to Humberside Police on 101.

New Public Spaces Protection Orders

Requests for additional areas to be included in Orders covering dog control should be sent to one of the email addresses below:

Email: dog.warden@eastriding.gov.uk

Email: safe.communities@eastriding.gov.uk

Further information about Public Spaces Protection Orders

Public Spaces Protection Orders were introduced in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014:

The following PDF documents provide an overview of the Orders:

PSPO - Dog Leaflet (pdf 764kb)

PSPO - Alcohol Consumption Information (pdf 10.2kb)

PSPO - Gating Information (pdf 7.6kb)

Review of Public Spaces Protection Orders 2019

The Council introduced 168 Public Spaces Protection Orders (“PSPOs”) (one for each parish) on 1 September 2016 and in accordance with Section 60 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (“2014 Act”), is required to review these Orders at least every three years.

The 2014 Act provides that the local authority that made the Order/s may extend the period for which it has effect if satisfied on reasonable grounds that doing so is necessary to prevent:-

a) occurrence or recurrence after that time of the activities identified in the Order, or

b) an increase in the frequency or seriousness of those activities after that time.

The Council, in consultation with statutory consultees, strongly believes that if the PSPOs were to cease on 31 August 2019 the problems identified within the areas of the PSPOs are likely to return to the previous levels of frequency.

The Council therefore proposes under section 60(2) of the 2014 Act to extend all of the 168 PSPOs for a further three year period from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2020. In addition, following the informal consultation, the Council proposes under Section 61(1) of the 2014 Act to vary the following Orders:-

Aldbrough PSPO

Anlaby with Anlaby Common PSPO

Anlaby with Anlaby Common Map

Sutton upon Derwent PSPO

During the formal consultation period the Bridlington PSPO has been further amended. Therefore the consultation period for the Bridlington PSPO has been extended to Wednesday 21st August.

The draft variations to the above Orders can be viewed by clicking on the parish name. All existing Orders can be viewed on the Anti-social-behaviour page.

If you require any further information regarding the restrictions on dogs, please email stuart.allen@eastriding.gov.uk and for further information on restrictions on the consumption of alcohol or restrictions of public rights of way maureen.yates@eastriding.gov.uk

Prior to extending the PSPOs and sealing the variation orders the council invites any final comments on any or all of the PSPOs. If you wish to submit any comments please forward these by email to safe.communities@eastriding.gov.uk or in writing to:

The Manager of the Anti-Social Behaviour Team
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
County Hall
Cross Street
Beverley
HU17 9BA

no later than 26 July 2019.

Alcohol Prohibition/Restriction of a Public Right of Way

The purpose of this consultation period is to ask for your opinions and suggestions in regards to current PSPOs and any required amendments. There are no planned amendments to the current restrictions on public rights of way, however, this consultation will identify any areas which no longer require the alcohol prohibition restrictions that are currently in place. For example, an area may have previously been used by adults to consume alcohol leading to nuisance or disorder but this is no longer the case.

To support the continuation of the existing areas of alcohol prohibition or to request a new area you will need to complete the Request for an Amendment form along with any evidence you have that consumption of alcohol by adults in this area is causing nuisance or if the restriction is not introduced, alcohol-related nuisance will take place.

Request for Amendment to PSPO (pdf 109kb)

For those orders that currently contain a restriction on alcohol, you will need to submit evidence that alcohol-related nuisance or disorder is or will again become a problem if the order is amended by removing the restriction.

For Alcohol Prohibition and Restriction of a Public Right of Way contact the Community and Crime Reduction officer:

Email: maureen.yates@eastriding.gov.uk

If you have issues with underage drinking then this comes under different legislation and is a criminal offence and should be reported directly to the Police. Underage drinking is not covered by PSPOs.

Offences related to dogs

No changes are anticipated to the dog fouling section of the PSPOs. However, the Dogs on Leads and Dog Exclusion areas may need updating. Therefore, if you have any suggestions for changes you will need to fill in the Request for an Amendment Form with supporting evidence to add new areas or updates any existing areas. If applying for an amendment you will need to provide details of alternative areas where dog walkers can take their dogs to be exercised.

For offences related to dogs contact the Dog Warden:

Email: dog.warden@eastriding.gov.uk

What will happen if you cause a nuisance in the East Riding whilst drinking?

Not only will the person be likely to get arrested, they may also be charged or reported for summons for a criminal offence(s) or receive a £80 on-the-spot fine.

Many people enjoy going out in the East Riding to have a good time with their family and friends. A minority start causing a nuisance and the excessive consumption of alcohol is often a contributory factor.

This will not be tolerated.

Part 3 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 gives the Police powers to require a person committing or likely to commit anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder, to leave an area for up to 48 hours. The Police can also confiscate any item that could be used to commit anti-social behaviour, crime or disorder.

Humberside Police and East Riding of Yorkshire Council are working together to deal with people who constantly cause the alcohol-related nuisance.

This will involve the use of acceptable behaviour contracts and applications to the court for Civil Injunction or criminal behaviour orders.

Can anything be done if my neighbour has installed a CCTV camera and it seems to be pointing towards my house/garden or a public space?

If you are concerned that you or others are being filmed, please follow the link and it will provide guidance on what you can do:

CCTV guidance (external website)

What are the changes to anti-social behaviour legislation in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014?

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 took effect on 20 October 2014.

The Act abolished 19 existing tools, including the Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO), Designated Public Place Order (No Drinking Zone) and Gating Orders.

All existing tools are replaced by six new powers, including Criminal Behaviour Orders, Civil Injunctions and Public Spaces Protection Orders.

Further information can be found in this guidance document issued by the Home Office.

Home Office ASB Guidance (pdf 946kb)

What do I do if I am not happy with the response I receive?

If you are not happy with the response you receive, contact us online with the details of your complaint.

Alternatively, you can email us:

Email: safe.communities@eastriding.gov.uk

We will investigate your complaint in accordance with the council’s feedback procedure.

We are here to help you, but please be patient with us as we receive a lot of enquiries and cannot always find a resolution to problems as quickly as we or you would like us to.

Do you have any information about Halloween, trick or treating and fireworks?

How can young people stay safe whilst trick or treating?

We want you to enjoy Halloween, but remember, not everyone wants to take part.

Here are a few things to remember when you're out on Halloween:

If you’re going trick or treating, make sure you go with an adult and your parent or carer knows where you’re going and when to expect you back
Respect posters asking you not to trick or treat at someone’s house
Don’t go trick or treating alone - stay with your group
Eggs and flour are for baking. Don’t throw them
Be careful crossing roads in the dark.

Have a great time, stay safe and look out for each other.

How should I respond to trick or treaters?

It is not just at Halloween when unexpected callers turn up on your doorstep. Here are a few tips to remember to keep you safe:

Official visitors should always make an appointment beforehand
Look through the door view or window to see who is outside
If you decide to open the door, put the chain or bar on first
Check the caller's details before you let them into your home. Telephone the relevant organisation to confirm the caller's identity
Do not rely on a phone number that the caller gives you
Do not feel pressurised into buying items on your doorstep and be wary of callers who may offer home repairs or gardening.

Download our 'We don't wish to take part' poster.

Halloween - We don't wish to take part poster (pdf 92kb)

What do I need to know about fireworks?

Fireworks are great fun but it is important to remember that they can also cause distress and injuries if not handled properly.

If you are using fireworks at home simply follow our guidelines to ensure you have a safe but fun bonfire night.

Remember, remember...

Only buy fireworks from a legitimate retailer
It is illegal to supply fireworks to persons under the age of 18
Shops are not allowed to sell fireworks louder than 120 decibels
It is an offence for under-18s to have fireworks in a public place
You should never throw or set off a firework in the street, onto a road or in a public place
You’re not allowed to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am except on Bonfire Night whereby the curfew is midnight to 7am. New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, curfew is 1am
Anyone caught causing a nuisance with fireworks will receive an instant fine and any fireworks found on a person under 18 will be confiscated
Never use any kind of accelerant i.e. petrol to start a bonfire
Always inform your neighbours if you are using fireworks and be considerate
Ensure your fireworks comply with British Standard 7114 or the European equivalents
Remember, if you break the law on fireworks you could be sent to prison for up to six months or your parents or carers could receive a fine.

You can only buy fireworks (including sparklers) from registered sellers for private use on these dates:

15 October - 10 November
26 - 31 December
3 days before Diwali and Chinese New Year.

At other times you can only buy fireworks from licensed shops.

Where can I get further information and support?

If you would like to report anti-social behaviour to the council, please use the link below: