Couple's plea over decade of anti-social behaviour

"We are supposed to be enjoying our retirement... but they've taken it away."

Harry, a retired factory worker in his early 80s, says he has considered taking his own life after being overcome with anxiety linked to problem neighbours in Birmingham.

He told the BBC he had endured years of anti-social behaviour from the council tenants next door.

Birmingham City Council said it was aware of the complaints and was investigating "in order to seek a resolution".

But Harry and his wife Shirley - their real names have been changed for this article - believe the local authority has repeatedly failed to deal with numerous incidents.

They said they had been affected by loud noise, the dumping of rubbish on the street, and had heard people coming and going throughout the night.

The couple say they do not know where to turn next.

They have lived in their home, which they own, for three decades, explaining that problems only emerged when an extended family moved next to them 10 years ago.

The couple recorded every instance and put it all in an evidence folder. Harry believes the family are effectively breaching their tenancy agreement with persistent anti-social behaviour.

They say, in recent years, they have even experienced displays of aggression, despite attempts at mediation over the issues, and have installed air conditioning and sound-proofing to try to suppress the noise pollution - and their own misery.

"It's dreadful," said Shirley. "Harry has been so poorly, he's had a couple of strokes, cancer and heart [problems].

"The noise gets him down and the other week he was suicidal. Our children had to calm him down because he was so upset. I thought he was going to have a heart attack, it's just never-ending.

"It's been going on for so long now, it's just ridiculous."

The BBC understands that Birmingham City Council has been involved on numerous occasions, and provided mediation services between the couple and the neighbours.

"We had a council worker tell us that the noise is unacceptable… but nothing is being done," said Harry.

"We're getting no help at all. Birmingham City Council have done nothing at all."

The authority says the matter remains an "open case".

Shirley said when a complaint is made to the council about their neighbours, the outcome is always the same – the tenants next door are asked to be respectful but within weeks the anti-social behaviour begins again.

West Midlands Police told the BBC that officers attended the property following a noise complaint in December 2023.

A statement read: "We take all reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) seriously, and we are working hard to deal with it."

"We would urge people to report anti-social behaviour either to police via our website or 101, or by contacting their local authority's ASB hotline."

According to the Housing Ombudsman for England, the number of anti-social behaviour complaints it investigated in local authority and housing association properties in the West Midlands had tripled since 2021.

There were 20 cases in 2021-22, which rose to 60 in 2023-24.

• If you've been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this article, please go to BBC Action Line where you can find support

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