Alarms

If a car alarm is sounding unnecessarily we have the legal right to stop it.

A premises intruder alarm has to sound for more than twenty minutes before we can take action.

Process

There is a  procedure we have to go through to turn alarms off. Firstly, we have to serve a "noise abatement notice" directly on the owner/occupier or, if they cannot be found, the notice is placed on the car or on the property.

This notice requires the person responsible to deactivate the alarm within one hour.

If this is not done a specialist can be called in to deactivate the alarm, at the alarm owners expense. We will take every care not to cause damage to vehicles or property however it may be necessary to enter properties or vehicles to deactivate the alarms.

In some cases, we may have to tow the vehicle away or change the locks on the premises.

We will recover our costs and in some cases, may prosecute. A successful prosecution could lead to a fine, but we prefer to use informal methods where possible.

Once we have switched off the alarm we will ensure that the house or car is left secured. The police will be i

nformed of any action we take so that the owner can be kept informed.

Vehicles can be reclaimed by producing a driver's licence and vehicle registration documents to the manager of the car pound.

If the locks have been changed, the owners/occupiers can claim the new keys by presenting themselves at any time at City Hall, Victoria Street, SW1 with valid identification and proof of ownership or occupation of the property.

We aim to:

• always attempt to find the owner or occupier of the property or vehicle
• give the owner or occupier a reasonable time to deactivate the alarm
• take care not to cause damage to the property or vehicle
• never leave a property or vehicle unsecured after we have entered it
• take the most appropriate action to minimise disturbance to residents
• make every effort to inform the owner or occupier of our actions.

Fire alarms

For health and safety reasons the 24 hour noise team cannot deactivate a sounding fire alarm. If you hear a fire alarm please call the emergency services. The fire brigade can enter, check the building and reset the alarm.

• If you want to complain about noise occurring now - please call the 24 Hour Hotline on 020 7641 2000.
• If you would like to report noise from licensed premises please use our "report a noise problem" form.
• If you would like to comment on our noise service please use the comments form.