‘I’m a lawyer and this is the moment you can report nuisance neighbours to police’

A lawyer has shared the moment when harassment from a neighbour can be reported to the police, and recommended some things you should do before making a complaint

Dispute with your neighbour turning nasty? A lawyer has shared some advice about the right moment to involve the police. In a TikTok video, the legal expert behind @crimdlawyer responded to the question: “How do you deal with harassment from a neighbour? I have been polite up to now, but it’s getting to the point again where it’s every day”.

The lawyer clarified that if problems have occurred more than twice, “it can be reported to the police” and noted many neighbours are going to the extent of setting up logs or installing CCTV cameras to catch people in the act of harassment to further strengthen their case when it’s taken further.

He also pointed out that it “doesn’t have to be in a domestic setting” for the police to get involved – you can also report harassment at work, or even by “the same person who walks past you” each day.

According to Citizens Advice, you can report harassment to the police. They can charge someone with criminal harassment if:

• The person has harassed you more than once
• The harassment made you feel distressed or alarmed

If the police decide to charge someone, they’ll send the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS is an organisation that can take people to court – this is called ‘prosecution’. If the CPS decide not to prosecute the person who harassed you, they must let you know.

You can report harassment to the police on their website.

You can take someone to civil court if:

• They’ve harassed you more than once – this includes stalking
• The harassment made you feel distressed or alarmed

The court can order the person harassing you to stay away from you – this is called getting an ‘injunction’. The court can also award you compensation.

If the person keeps harassing you after you get an injunction, they’ve broken the law – this means they could go to prison.

You can go to civil court even if:

• You haven’t reported it to the police
• You reported it to the police, but the CPS decided not to prosecute the person who harassed you
• The CPS prosecuted the person who harassed you, and the court decided they weren’t guilty

But what exactly constitutes harassment? According to DFA Law: “Harassment is defined as types of behaviour that ‘cause alarm or distress’, or ‘put people in fear of violence’.” They share that “this can include threats of violence or an actual act of violence, verbal abuse, threats or actual damage to property or possessions, as well as written forms of abuse or threats”.

“Broadly, neighbour harassment is any act or behaviour from a neighbour that disturbs peace or security, or causes unnecessary inconvenience.”

You should keep a log of what happens, they warn, for example: 23/4/22 – loud music – 10.30pm to 1.30am – asked neighbour to turn down music several times but they refused with threats of violence, now seeking legal advice.

They also share that “There is case law for harassment, and for harassment to merit legal intervention, there must have been a ‘course of conduct’, or more than two related instances of harassment.

“The behaviour does not need to have been violent, but must have caused some alarm or distress, or have an element of oppression.”