Antisocial Behaviour Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is considered antisocial behaviour (ASB)?

The law states that antisocial behaviour (ASB) is any action that creates harassment, alarm or distress to a person who does not live in the same household.  So in simple terms, if you feel harassed, alarmed or distressed by another person’s behaviour or actions, and this person doesn’t live in your home, then it is deemed as anti social behaviour.

Examples include (but are not limited to):

• Using or threatening to use violence
• The use of abusive and/or insulting words
• Damage or the threat of damage to another person's possessions or belongings
• The playing of loud music at what is accepted as social or unsociable hours
• Disturbance late at night, visits and noise
• Graffiti, whether on personal or council owned property
• Neighbour dispute, arguing and excessive noise

• Racist behaviour and/or language

Q: Can I remain anonymous when I report antisocial behaviour?

All enquiries to the Community Safety Team are treated in confidence and we would encourage anyone to complain if they are affected by ASB.

Where an anonymous complaint is received we have to confirm the substance of the complaint before we can take any action. This can be difficult without knowing who is making the complaint.

Also it is important for us to be able to contact the person making the complaint to ensure that any measures taken have been effective and to ensure they are receiving any support they may need.

Q: What’s the difference between crime and antisocial behaviour?

ASB is behaviour which causes or is likely to cause harassment alarm and / or distress to others. It is about a continuous, longstanding process whereby victims are repeatedly subjected to abusive behaviour.

The court can impose a number of ASB disposals such as a CBO (Criminal Behaviour Order) and ASBI (Anti Social Behaviour Injunction)

Crime is doing something forbidden by law. That can include theft, assault, fraud or selling drugs.

Crime is a serious matter because society finds even one incident to be worthy of punishment.

ASB is serious, even when individual events may not seem much in isolation, because of the devastating effect that the process, the repetition and the context can have on victims, witnesses and communities.

Q: How can I find out local crime and asb statistics for my area?

View local crime statistics for your local neighbourhood 

Enter your post code into the search box to view crime statistics for your road/area.

Q: How quickly will you respond to my complaint of antisocial behaviour?

We aim to respond to complaints within five working days. All complaints are considered with regard to the victim’s vulnerability and the risk of harm.

Q: You have contacted me about antisocial behaviour, what shall I do?

If we have made contact with you to discuss ASB following a complaint that has been made about you, please do not ignore it. Contact us as soon as possible to discuss the matter; it is important that we understand both sides of the story. 

If you are causing ASB and you do not engage with us to deal with this, the Safer North West Partnership may have to consider taking enforcement action against you.  

It is far better that we are able to discuss this with you so that you understand the impact that the behaviour is having on others and what needs to be done to stop this. We will also explain the consequences if the ASB were to continue.

Q: What responsibilities do social landlords have for the actions of their tenants?

Section 12 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 requires all social landlords (local housing authorities, registered social landlords and housing action trusts) to prepare and publish statements and summaries of their policies and procedures in relation to ASB so that everyone can see what commitments the landlord is making.

The ASB does not have to occur in or near the landlord's properties to be covered (so long as there is some link with the landlord's housing management function). For example, housing staff may be protected even when they are working away from the locality, and even when they are not at work (where the ASB has some link with their work).

Under this act, registered social landlords and housing action trusts have the same powers to protect their tenants as local authorities, including the ability to obtain injunctions with a power of arrest, to make the same warnings in conjunction with the Police and as a last resort, to evict their tenants if their behaviour continues and causes harm to the community.

Q. How do I report ASB?

In an emergency call 999

If it is not an emergency, the following options are available:

Call the Police on telephone number 101.

Report online using the Report tab at the top of the page

If you are a council tenant, call the council housing department on 01530 454545. 

If you own your home or rent from a private landlord or housing association, contact the council's ASB co-coordinator on 01530 454831 or by email community.safety@nwleicestershire.gov.uk.

An Anti-social behaviour incident diary (Word Document, 0.19 Mb) will help you keep a record of incidents relating to your complaint and will assist us in handling your complaint.