Asbo for 'defending right to sleep'

A MAN has been hit with an Asbo after wiring together a vacuum cleaner, television, radio and stereo to produce the sound of a "jet landing" and annoy his neighbour.

Omar Makdad claimed he was driven to take revenge against a neighbour following a long-running dispute. The 56-year-old put the appliances, which also included an air compressor, on a timer device plugged in at the mains.

For one minute every hour, the appliances would be powered up simultaneously and deliver a deafening racket. But after leaving his flat on one occasion in Restalrig Road South, the timer broke and the blaring noise stayed on for an hour.

Police were forced to break down the door to turn off the switch after council noise wardens were called to the scene. Mr Makdad told the News that he had started using his vacuum cleaner to wake up his neighbour, who he claimed slept between 5pm and midnight. Mr Makdad claimed the neighbour would then stay up all night and made noises which kept him awake.

He said: "I used a timer for the vacuum cleaner to go on for one minute every hour. That was during a three-week period. I felt I had no choice. If I kept him up during the evening, I thought he would have to sleep at night and I could get peace. People say I'm antisocial, but I was defending my right to sleep.

"I accidentally connected my television, stereo, radio and air compressor to it on the day it broke. It wasn't deliberate. An air compressor doesn't even make much noise."

Mr Makdad claimed the neighbourly dispute stretched back to 2002 when another resident started making loud noise. He also said that the council refused his request to move to another flat.

"The timer breaking was an accident. But I was right to use the vacuum cleaner to wake him up. I had a good reason and it worked. I got more sleep at night."

Jim Hunter, the council's community protection manager, said the noise team had been called to Restalrig two months ago following complaints from neighbours.

He added: "The vacuum cleaner, radio, TV, air compressor and stereo were on a timer to go on a minute at a time. But it went wrong and the noise sounded like a jet landing for one hour. The items were confiscated and the owner has not been to reclaim them."

The wardens have the powers to seize equipment involved with antisocial behaviour and owners must pay £100 to have them returned or the property is destroyed.

Televisions, computers, and stereos were confiscated on 11 occasions between April last year and March, a rise on eight and just one for the previous two years.

A city council spokeswoman said Mr Makdad had been given an interim antisocial behaviour order on June 9. A full hearing will take place at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on July 14.

Mr Makdad's neighbour could not be reached for comment.

Sounding out 27,000 noisy neighbours in city

THE incident involving Mr Makdad was one of 27,000 call-outs attended by noise wardens during the first three years of their existence.

The noise team dealt with 9047 calls between April last year and March, compared with 9255 for the same period in 2006-7 and 8777 for 2005-6.

Fixed penalty notices of £100 can be handed out to persistent perpetrators, with 53 in 2007, 39 in 2006 and 26 in 2005 across the Capital.

Jim Hunter, the council's community protection manager, said the team were used to dealing with unusual situations.

He said: "We had an incident in the New Town last year where a marquee had been set up. The wardens found the decibel level was above the limit, but also learned it was a wedding reception.

"We didn't want to spoil the party as we were told everyone was leaving in half-an-hour on a bus. So our wardens handed out a written warning that they had 30 minutes to desist and they did."

The noise team are given targets to deal with calls within one hour.