Pair stung after complaints by neighbours
By Stephen Hunt, 5th July 2010
A pair of dog breeders from Southampton have been fined £1900
for excessive noise caused by their dogs.
Mark McGowan and Sam Watkins were made to pay £950 each after
environmental health officers found that their pack of bulldogs and
boxers were barking over 800 times an hour.
The pair were thus charged with flouting a noise abatement
notice and the fine was imposed when neither of the accused showed
up in court. Merrielle Billington, chairman of the bench, declared
that the barking was "totally unacceptable".
McGowan reportedly owned up to 17 dogs and the back of his
garden was said to be lined with cages to house them. Neighbours
said that the noise nuisance had become gradually worse since he
began keeping the dogs seven years ago.
McGowan and Watkins where their dogs have been listed for sale
for as much as £800, but the pair do not hold a breeder's
licence.
One neighbour, Ian Murray, who is coincidentally director of an
industrial noise reduction company, called the noise caused by the
canines "horrendous" and said "it's making our lives a living
hell".
Matt Dean, Southampton City Council environment chief made his
stance clear. He said: "This case demonstrates that the council
takes antisocial behaviour and noise issues very seriously.
"Noisy neighbours can cause untold misery for residents and can
have a real impact on people's quality of life. This will not be
tolerated in our city."
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