A Weston-super-Mare man has been found guilty of
breaching a noise abatement notice in a prosecution brought by
North Somerset Council.
Terence Thomas Kingston (aged 57) from Ullswater Close
Weston-super-Mare had already twice been found in breach of the
notice for allowing a dog to repeatedly bark at his address.
North Somerset Council has received complaints of noise of a dog
or dogs barking at his address for some time. The council had
previously spoken to Mr Kingston about the complaints and sent him
a warning letter but it continued to receive complaints.
On 21 August 2008 the council served an abatement notice on Mr
Kingston. This notice required him to provide adequate
supervision of the dog or dogs to prevent undue barking or to take
any action that may be necessary to prevent the nuisance from
recurring.
Mr Kingston has been convicted of two breaches of the notice on
March 2 2009. He was fined £875.00 for each offence and
ordered to pay costs of £871.44.
On Wednesday 8 July 2009, Robert Davis, an Environmental Protection
Officer employed by the council was called to Ullswater Close
following a complaint and witnessed a dog barking repeatedly at Mr
Kingston's property. Mr Davis began to count barks and
between 11.20 and 11.50am he counted 532 barks.
He was found guilty of this latest breach of the noise abatement
notice when he appeared at North Somerset Magistrates Court on
January 18. Magistrates did not impose a fine or award costs but
did disqualify Mr Kingston from driving for 21 days.
Cllr Peter Bryant, North Somerset Council's executive member for
environmental protection, said: "This man fails to take his
obligations seriously and does not keep proper control of his
pets. While the magistrates may not have imposed a financial
penalty they have still inconvenienced him by imposing a driving
disqualification, which I fully applaud.
"Our officers will continue to take appropriate action against
those who behave in an anti-social manner and make their neighbours
lives a misery."
