A music fan who made his neighbours’ lives miserable has been ordered to pay �1,000 in fines and costs - although he will be given back his music equipment.

Robert Perkins of Lyndhurst Drive, Hornchurch, subjected his neighbours to loud house and dance music in the middle of the night, sometimes continuing until 7am.

Residents in the road, who suffered from stress and exhaustion and whose ability to work and study was severely affected, tried to speak to Perkins to get him to stop.

But after their pleas went ignored they approached Havering Council, which issued a noise abatement notice.

Following his appearance at Havering Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 10, Cllr Lesley Kelly, cabinet member for housing and public protection, said: “Mr Perkins was making his neighbours’ lives a misery by blasting out loud music at all hours.

“Despite information advice and formal warnings he showed complete contempt for families next door. We will not allow our residents to have to put up with this.”

Council officers began an investigation to gather more evidence against Perkins after issuing the abatement notice.

They visited addresses in the street a number of times to listen to the music and install noise monitoring equipment. The volume was turned so high that officers could hear lyrics through the wall, and could the bass vibrations by touching the walls inside neighbouring properties.

In October last year officers visited Perkins’ house and seized DJ equipment, including record and CD decks.

The equipment will now be returned, following a ruling by magistrates last week. Perkins, who pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching an abatement notice.

He was fined a total of �500 and ordered to pay �500 prosecution costs to the council, as well as a �15 victim surcharge.

If a neighbour is causing a noise nuisance and they have ignored requests to be reasonable, you can report the problem to the council by calling (01708) 434343.