Brent's noise and anti-social behaviour officers feature in four episodes of Channel 5's At War with Nextdoor. In Ealing, report noise on 020 8825 8111.
Brent Council’s noise control and anti-social behaviour officers appear in four episodes of Channel 5’s At War with Nextdoor, following them as they investigate complaints from residents just over the border from Ealing, from persistent loud music and noisy pets to disturbances linked to late-night venues.
The council says the series gives a behind-the-scenes look at how it investigates complaints and responds to problems in its neighbourhoods. One of the officers on screen is Diane Lewis, a nuisance control officer at Brent Council.
Cllr Liz Dixon, Brent’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, said: “This series offers a glimpse of the work our teams do day in, day out to tackle the problems that affect residents’ everyday lives. Much of that work goes on behind the scenes, so it’s good to see it recognised. Residents can see what happens when they raise complaints with us, from investigating reports to taking action.”
She added: “If you experience anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping or nuisance, please report it to us so we can look into it. Our message is simple: Don’t Mess with Brent! We all have a part to play in keeping our neighbourhoods clean and peaceful.”
When noise becomes a nuisance in law
Not every loud neighbour is breaking the law. A statutory nuisance covers noise, smoke, dust, smell or artificial light that significantly interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home. Brent Council says the impact has to go beyond everyday annoyance and be unreasonable to the average person.
In Brent, most noise complaints come in online or through the Noise App, and investigations usually start after repeated incidents within a short period. In April 2025, Willesden Magistrates’ Court fined a Brent resident more than £8,000 after repeated reports of loud music from neighbours, the council said.
The problem is not small. Research by Churchill Home Insurance, quoted by the council, found around 450,000 noise complaints were made to UK councils in 2021/22, roughly one every 70 seconds.
How to report noise in Ealing
Brent residents can report noise through the Noise App. Ealing runs its own service, set out on the Ealing Council noise nuisance pages.
Ealing Council investigates loud amplified music and unreasonable voice levels from homes, noise from pubs, bars and clubs, industrial machinery at commercial premises, and construction noise. It does not investigate poor sound insulation between homes, children playing or normal everyday living noise, and it does not take anonymous complaints, though a complainant’s details are not shared with the neighbour.
For noise happening now, call 020 8825 8111 to ask for a visit. Ealing says its officers aim to respond within an hour during these hours:
- Monday and Tuesday: 9am to 5pm
- Wednesday and Thursday: 9am to midnight
- Friday: 9am to 1am
- Saturday: 4pm to 1am
- Sunday: 2pm to 11pm
After a complaint, Ealing writes to the neighbour without naming the person who complained and sends logging sheets to record further incidents. If officers witness a statutory nuisance, the council can serve a noise abatement notice; breaching it can lead to prosecution, and repeated breaches to a court warrant to seize the equipment making the noise. For disputes that fall short of that, the council points residents to the Ealing Mediation Service.
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