Residents have been terrorised by a pensioner’s pet cockerel that crowed 90 times in just an hour-and-a-half.
Harold Brown, 80, has now been fined after the “nuisance” bird subjected his neighbours to “torture” during the crowing sessions, some as early as 3am.
The bird was recorded repeatedly crowing by environmental health officials after neighbours complained about the regular “cock-a-doodle-do” sound.
Brown’s neighbours in the residential cul-de-sac on the edge of Hampshire’s New Forest were subjected to the continual sound for 14 months, Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard.
Six neighbours in particular said they had to avoid parts of their house to get away from the “discernible” and “significant” squawking.
He was served an abatement notice by New Forest District Council in December 2022 following the complaints.
Brown did not abide by this notice which required him to silence the bird within 14 days. However, shortly after, the cockerel passed away.
“It did not die, it was killed”, Brown maintained.
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Following a “brief period of respite for neighbours”, he got another cockerel and the “nuisance reoccurred”.
One neighbour, Barbara Cron, told the court she kept a log of all the times she heard the bird from August 8 to August 14, 2023.
She said: “It has disturbed my sleep, and I am affected by the constant lack of sleep.
“I suffer with migraine attacks, and when I have those as the cockerel is crowing, it is like a form of torture it is so loud.
“I kept a log and I recorded crowing on a daily basis.”
Another neighbour, Pauline Grinham, said her daughter works full-time and has had to go to the doctor to “get help” for sleep due to the bird’s repeated crowing,
Brown, who represented himself during the hearing, said that his neighbours and the local authority were in cahoots in a “conspiracy” against him.
He was handed a £200 fine after being found guilty of failing to comply with an abatement notice to keep the noise down
In addition to the fine, he was ordered to pay £300 in legal costs and an £80 surcharge.
Find Out More...
Harold Brown, 80, has now been fined after the “nuisance” bird subjected his neighbours to “torture” during the crowing sessions, some as early as 3am.
The bird was recorded repeatedly crowing by environmental health officials after neighbours complained about the regular “cock-a-doodle-do” sound.
Brown’s neighbours in the residential cul-de-sac on the edge of Hampshire’s New Forest were subjected to the continual sound for 14 months, Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard.
Six neighbours in particular said they had to avoid parts of their house to get away from the “discernible” and “significant” squawking.
He was served an abatement notice by New Forest District Council in December 2022 following the complaints.
Brown did not abide by this notice which required him to silence the bird within 14 days. However, shortly after, the cockerel passed away.
“It did not die, it was killed”, Brown maintained.
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Following a “brief period of respite for neighbours”, he got another cockerel and the “nuisance reoccurred”.
One neighbour, Barbara Cron, told the court she kept a log of all the times she heard the bird from August 8 to August 14, 2023.
She said: “It has disturbed my sleep, and I am affected by the constant lack of sleep.
“I suffer with migraine attacks, and when I have those as the cockerel is crowing, it is like a form of torture it is so loud.
“I kept a log and I recorded crowing on a daily basis.”
Another neighbour, Pauline Grinham, said her daughter works full-time and has had to go to the doctor to “get help” for sleep due to the bird’s repeated crowing,
Brown, who represented himself during the hearing, said that his neighbours and the local authority were in cahoots in a “conspiracy” against him.
He was handed a £200 fine after being found guilty of failing to comply with an abatement notice to keep the noise down
In addition to the fine, he was ordered to pay £300 in legal costs and an £80 surcharge.
Find Out More...