Parent unsuccessfully appeals anti-social behaviour notice from Northampton Borough Council ordering them to ‘supervise their children’

The defendant appeared in Northampton Magistrates court last week against Northampton Borough Council, who served the notice, Northampton Partnership Homes and a Northamptonshire Police neighbourhood team.

The notice was originally served following a neighbour dispute and came with conditions including a requirement to supervise their children and prevent harassment, alarm or distress to others.

But the defendant disagreed with the notice and attempted to appeal it in court.

The court agreed that the serving of the CPN under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 by the Council, was reasonable and dismissed the appeal.

The court awarded costs of £750 to the council.

A Northampton Borough Council spokesperson said: “Before considering any enforcement action, we work with our partners to try and resolve neighbour disputes, adopting a stepped approach including support and mediation.

“Community Protection Notices can cover a large range of behaviours, as they aim to deal with ongoing problems or nuisances which have a negative impact on residents’ quality of life.

“Breaching the notice is a criminal offence, which in this instance, led to prosecution. Our officers worked closely with the police to get this result, which is a positive outcome for the people affected.”

Sergeant Wyn Hughes, said: “The issuing of a CPN is not something we, nor the council, consider lightly.

“However it became necessary in this case due to the negative impact the defendant’s behaviour was having on the community in the area.

“We were pleased to be able to support the council in this case and hope the CPN in place allows the residents in this area to live a better quality of life, as everyone deserves to in their own home and neighbourhood.”