Complaints about noisy neighbours in Norwich have risen by more than 10pc during the last two years, new figures have revealed.

Complaints about noisy neighbours in Norwich have risen by more than 10pc during the last two years, new figures have revealed.

Environmental health officers at Norwich City Council are having to deal with more than 900 complaints about noise per year - which equates to almost three a day.

The news comes as a national campaign is launched to try to make people more aware of the misery their noise can cause and offer people advice on how to resolve issues with loud neighbours.

As part of its Noise Concern campaign, environmental group EnCams revealed that a third of people in England admitted they were noisy neighbours.

The most common complaints surround loud music.

Broadland District Council received 503 noise related complaints in 2005/06, issued three noise abatement orders and carried out one prosecution.

Meanwhile, 43pc of people who suffer from noise say that their ordeal had lasted for over a year.

Since April 2003, the city council have dealt with 2,773 complaints about noise levels. This has led to 120 noise abatement orders being issued, which warn people to stop or they could face court action, and 10 successful prosecutions.

However, the number of complaints received rose from 873 in 2003/4 to 966 in 2005/06, while noise abatements fell from 39 to 33 and there were three prosecutions for both periods.

EnCams said there are seven steps for people to take to try to resolve a noisy neighbour issue and this includes having a "quiet word about the problem", contacting your local authority and employing mediation services such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Alan Woods, chief executive of EnCams, said: "Living with noisy neighbours is a nightmare. Our new research shows how millions of people are suffering every day - feeling frus-trated, angry and deprived of sleep."