A man in Derbyshire was fined £3,000 after neighbors complained about his cockerel crowing loudly and excessively.
The council used special equipment to monitor the noise and determine how often the bird crowed. They deemed it excessive, noting many crowing events happened daily. An officer visited to gather more proof.
One morning, the cockerel crowed 76 times between 5:53 AM and 6:43 AM. The council declared it a “statutory nuisance” and told Mr. Bower to reduce the noise to lessen the impact on neighbors.
Mike Leyton, who lives down the street and sometimes heard the cockerel, felt the fine was too much. He acknowledged the council acted but still thought the fine was excessive.
Leyton recalled cockerels in his childhood, with a neighbor in Dronfield having one. It made noise, but it wasn’t a big deal. He wondered what they would do now, feeling killing the chicken seemed harsh since it’s just doing what’s natural.
Another neighbor, who wanted to stay unnamed, was happy something happened about the noise. They said it’s hard to sleep when older and a bird crowing every morning makes it worse.
They had recently moved there and found the noise sometimes quiet, sometimes unbearable. There were weeks or months of constant noise. They felt the fine was steep but avoidable, adding it’s not the bird’s fault and they belong on farms.
A dog walker using a nearby path had noticed the cockerel before, but didn’t think it was that bad. Even when quiet, the dog reacts because the smell makes her excited.
The dog walker thought the situation was funny and hadn’t considered it a big problem. They believed the fine was excessive, suggesting fly-tippers near Ogston Reservoir cause bigger problems and should be fined instead.
Mr. Bower didn’t engage with the council, and the case went to court on December 9th. He didn’t attend the hearing.
The court fined him £660, and he also had to pay £943 and £1,623.96. He had 28 days to pay, but failed to do so by February 19th, leading the council’s legal team to handle the matter. They tried to contact Mr. Bower but he didn’t answer the door.
The council said they act when noise threatens quality of life. Council member Steve Pickering stated they help prevent these problems and encourages people to contact them for advice.