A Council chief today warned troublemakers they would go to court - after 'draconian' punishment was meted out by magistrates to an offender.

Amarpreet Singh, 18, of Sycamore Close, Bradford has been banned from harassing and distressing people by playing music on his hi-fi too loud in any part of the district.

But magistrates who granted Bradford Council the district's first Anti-social Behaviour Order yesterday said: "It particularly applied to the teenager's own street".

The Council was the first in Britain to get an order covering the occupant of a private house. The order was only the second to be granted in the north east of England.

Singh was also found guilty of breaking a noise abatement order slapped on last July by the Council. In his absence he was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,300 costs.

The Anti-social Behaviour Order has been lodged with the police and Singh faces a fine of up to £5,000 and five years in prison if he breaks it.

But Homes and Environment member of the Council's Executive Committee Councillor Jim O'Neill said "The Council would use orders again where necessary and would do its homework to ensure that they were granted." He added he hoped the 'draconian' measures imposed would deter other people.

The order was also welcomed by Mr Singh's neighbour Nadeem Amini, 25, a textile worker, who said he could hear the music playing from across the street. He said "It was very loud sometimes. If his neighbours were telling him to stop playing his music he should have done it.

"He's a young lad and likes playing his music loud - but there is a limit.

"You have to have a good relationship with your neighbours to be able to live in your community and he hasn't done that."

But Mr Singh's next door neighbour, Frances Spencer, a supermarket assistant said he had turned the music down every time he was asked.

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Telegraph & Argus, magistrates were told yesterday by Richard Winter, prosecuting for Bradford Council, that although a noise abatement order had been made in court against Singh because of loud music last June, he had continued 'harassing, alarming and distressing' next door neighbour Lynda Boylin with the noise. Mr Winter said there were complaints that it had happened on seven occasions following the order between June and July.

He read a statement from an environmental health officer who said the family could hear the music from the house next door when they were talking, using the washing machine or watching television. The officer Nicholas Milsom said he saw the top of a window shaking because of the noise and it was 'loud, intrusive and causing a nuisance'.

Mr Winter pointed out to the magistrates that Mr Singh was quoted in a Telegraph & Argus interview last year after the court case that he would turn the music down but if people 'gave him attitude' he would turn it up.

Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said the orders were a 'strong tool in the Council's armoury'.

He added: "Clearly, we are extremely pleased that the court has taken this matter so seriously. I hope it will be a warning to people that we will not put up with anti-social behaviour in Bradford. It is not acceptable."

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