AN Alvechurch couple have been fined more than £3,000 by Magistrates after failing to stop their dogs barking excessively.
Mark and Sarah Mansell, of 5 Latimer Road, Alvechurch, pleaded guilty by post at Redditch Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (February 16) to two offences of breaching a formal notice to stop noise caused by dogs barking at their home.
The court heard that after complaints from the public, investigations by Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) led to the use of noise monitoring equipment which confirmed that the level of noise required a Notice to be served.
Further monitoring found that the Notice was then breached in July and again in August of 2016.
While the Mansells did not attend court, Magistrates were read a letter from the defendants stating that the dogs had since been rehomed.
Magistrates fined each of the defendants £250 for each of the two separate offences, and awarded costs of £1007.50, and a £30 victim surcharge each. The total payable by the couple was £3,075.
Coun Bronwen Behan, Chairman of the WRS Board, said: “We all have the right to live in our homes free from statutory noise nuisance. The vast majority of complaints can be resolved long before there is the need for formal action or prosecution, but that’s not always the case, and Worcestershire Regulatory Services will take action where necessary to protect the community.”
