Car dealer fined over noise nuisance

Published Friday 23 September 2022 at 14:09

A Blackburn car dealer has been convicted of breaching a noise abatement notice and fined a total of £8500.

Shakil Ali Asghar, owner of Agate Autos on Whalley New Road in Blackburn, was warned by the Council’s Public Protection Service that the guard dogs at his car sales plot was barking late into the night and causing a nuisance to neighbours.

Despite being given every opportunity to stop this nuisance, the barking continued disrupting neighbours sleep, and Council officers served an abatement notice in October 2021.

Unfortunately the barking didn’t stop, so the Council decided to prosecute once breaches of the notice were witnessed.

Mr Asghar was found guilty of breaches of the abatement notice in his absence at Burnley Magistrates Court on 1st September 22, and was fined £5000, ordered to pay costs of £3000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £500, making a total penalty of £8500.

An application for a Criminal Behaviour Order to prevent dogs being kept on the car sales premises will be heard on the 4th October.

Councillor Shaukat Hussain, Assistant Executive Member for Environment and Operations, said:

The Council makes every effort to resolve noise complaints without resorting to prosecution, but if offenders won’t listen to reason they will face the consequences.

Complaints about barking dogs are on the increase, so I’d advise owners of dogs who might be causing similar problems to take note of this prosecution, and ensure that they don’t end up in the same situation.

If you’d like to report a noise complaint, visit our website.

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