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Wales Online
01-07-2025
- Wales Online
Criminal lawyer explains what to do if your neighbour is harassing you
Criminal lawyer explains what to do if your neighbour is harassing you A lawyer has explained when you can report nuisance neighbours to the police Have you ever fought with your neighbours? (Image: Hill Street Studios via Getty Images ) Disagreements and altercations with your neighbours can turn everyday life into a tense and uncomfortable experience. So if you find yourself in this position, a lawyer has offered guidance on when you can take your troublesome neighbours' behaviour to the police. A social media user on TikTok asked: "How do you deal with harassment from a neighbour? I have been polite up to now, but it's getting to the point again where it's every day". Legal expert @crimdlawyer on TikTok said in reply that if incidents have occurred multiple times, "it can be reported to the police". He added that disputes between neighbours often reach the police when individuals have kept records or set up CCTV cameras. He further stressed that harassment "doesn't have to be in a domestic setting" for the police to step in – it can happen at work or even with "the same person who walks past you" regularly, reports the Daily Record. Citizens Advice makes it clear that anyone can report harassment to the police, who may then charge someone with criminal harassment if: The individual has harassed you repeatedly The harassment caused you distress or fear Should the police decide to take action, they will involve the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which takes people to court in what is termed 'prosecution'. If the CPS chooses not to prosecute, they must let you know. Article continues below In some situations, you're entitled to initiate a civil court case if: They've harassed you more than once - this includes stalking The harassment made you feel distressed or alarmed Harassment is a severe matter that can manifest in various ways, including stalking or causing distress. If you have experienced harassment on multiple occasions and it has caused you distress or alarm, you have the option to pursue legal action. Content cannot be displayed without consent The court has the authority to instruct the person harassing you to maintain a distance - this is referred to as obtaining an 'injunction'. Furthermore, the court may grant you compensation. If the individual continues to harass you after an injunction has been issued, they are violating the law and could face imprisonment. You have the right to go to civil court even if you haven't reported the incident to the police, or if the CPS decided not to prosecute the person who harassed you. This also applies if the CPS prosecuted the person, but the court found them not guilty. Article continues below What exactly is harassment? According to DFA Law: "Harassment is defined as types of behaviour that 'cause alarm or distress', or 'put people in fear of violence'." They say "this can include threats of violence or an actual act of violence, verbal abuse, threats or actual damage to property or possessions, as well as written forms of abuse or threats. Broadly, neighbour harassment is any act or behaviour from a neighbour that disturbs peace or security, or causes unnecessary inconvenience." It's recommended to maintain a record of incidents, such as: 23/4/22 – loud music – 10.30pm to 1.30am – requested neighbour to lower music volume multiple times but was met with threats of violence, now considering legal counsel. They also noted: "There is case law for harassment, and for harassment to merit legal intervention, there must have been a 'course of conduct', or more than two related instances of harassment. The behaviour does not need to have been violent, but must have caused some alarm or distress, or have an element of oppression."
Daily Record
26-05-2025
- Daily Record
Lawyer explains when you can report nuisance neighbours to police as one shares 'every day' hell
A lawyer has shared the instances when you can report your nuisance neighbours to the police, and it seems they're a lot more common than you might think Squabbles and run-ins with your neighbours can make day-to-day life uncomfortable and awkward. One lawyer has offered advice on when you can report your troublesome neighbours to the police. One person queried on social media: "How do you deal with harassment from a neighbour? I have been polite up to now, but it's getting to the point again where it's every day". The legal expert, known on TikTok as @crimdlawyer, clarified that if incidents have happened more than twice, "it can be reported to the police". He further noted that many neighbourly disputes are brought to the attention of the police when individuals have kept logs or installed CCTV cameras. Additionally, he emphasised that harassment "doesn't have to be in a domestic setting" for police intervention – it can occur at work or even involve "the same person who walks past you" regularly, reports the Express. Citizens Advice outlines that harassment can be reported to the police, who may charge someone with criminal harassment if: The individual has harassed you repeatedly The harassment caused you distress or fear Should the police opt to press charges, they will refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is responsible for taking individuals to court, a process known as 'prosecution'. If the CPS decides against prosecuting the harasser, they are obliged to inform you. Harassment can be reported via the Police Scotland website. In certain circumstances, you may pursue a civil court case if: They've harassed you more than once - this includes stalking The harassment made you feel distressed or alarmed Harassment is a serious issue and can take many forms, including stalking or causing distress. If you've been harassed more than once and it's caused you distress or alarm, you can seek legal recourse. The court has the power to order the person harassing you to stay away - this is known as obtaining an 'injunction'. Additionally, the court may award you compensation. If the individual continues to harass you after an injunction has been issued, they're breaking the law and could face prison. You have the right to go to civil court even if you haven't reported the incident to the police, or if the CPS decided not to prosecute the person who harassed you. This also applies if the CPS prosecuted the person, but the court found them not guilty. But what exactly constitutes harassment? According to DFA Law: "Harassment is defined as types of behaviour that 'cause alarm or distress', or 'put people in fear of violence'." They share that "this can include threats of violence or an actual act of violence, verbal abuse, threats or actual damage to property or possessions, as well as written forms of abuse or threats. "Broadly, neighbour harassment is any act or behaviour from a neighbour that disturbs peace or security, or causes unnecessary inconvenience." It's advised to keep a log of incidents, for example: 23/4/22 – loud music – 10.30pm to 1.30am – asked neighbour to turn down music several times but they refused with threats of violence, now seeking legal advice. They also pointed out that "There is case law for harassment, and for harassment to merit legal intervention, there must have been a 'course of conduct', or more than two related instances of harassment. "The behaviour does not need to have been violent, but must have caused some alarm or distress, or have an element of oppression."
Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
'I'm a lawyer and this is moment you can report nuisance neighbours to police'
A lawyer has shared the moment when harassment from a neighbour can be reported to the police, and recommended some things you should do before making a complaint Dispute with your neighbour turning nasty? A lawyer has shared some advice about the right moment to involve the police. In a TikTok video, the legal expert behind @crimdlawyer responded to the question: "How do you deal with harassment from a neighbour? I have been polite up to now, but it's getting to the point again where it's every day". The lawyer clarified that if problems have occurred more than twice, "it can be reported to the police" and noted many neighbours are going to the extent of setting up logs or installing CCTV cameras to catch people in the act of harassment to further strengthen their case when it's taken further. He also pointed out that it 'doesn't have to be in a domestic setting' for the police to get involved - you can also report harassment at work, or even by 'the same person who walks past you' each day. According to Citizens Advice, you can report harassment to the police. They can charge someone with criminal harassment if: The person has harassed you more than once The harassment made you feel distressed or alarmed If the police decide to charge someone, they'll send the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS is an organisation that can take people to court - this is called 'prosecution'. If the CPS decide not to prosecute the person who harassed you, they must let you know. You can report harassment to the police on their website. They've harassed you more than once - this includes stalking The harassment made you feel distressed or alarmed The court can order the person harassing you to stay away from you - this is called getting an 'injunction'. The court can also award you compensation. If the person keeps harassing you after you get an injunction, they've broken the law - this means they could go to prison. You can go to civil court even if: You haven't reported it to the police You reported it to the police, but the CPS decided not to prosecute the person who harassed you The CPS prosecuted the person who harassed you, and the court decided they weren't guilty But what exactly constitutes harassment? According to DFA Law: 'Harassment is defined as types of behaviour that 'cause alarm or distress', or 'put people in fear of violence'.' They share that 'this can include threats of violence or an actual act of violence, verbal abuse, threats or actual damage to property or possessions, as well as written forms of abuse or threats'. 'Broadly, neighbour harassment is any act or behaviour from a neighbour that disturbs peace or security, or causes unnecessary inconvenience.' You should keep a log of what happens, they warn, for example: 23/4/22 – loud music – 10.30pm to 1.30am – asked neighbour to turn down music several times but they refused with threats of violence, now seeking legal advice. They also share that 'There is case law for harassment, and for harassment to merit legal intervention, there must have been a 'course of conduct', or more than two related instances of harassment. 'The behaviour does not need to have been violent, but must have caused some alarm or distress, or have an element of oppression.'
