Barking dog lands its owner with £615 bill

A WOMAN whose barking dogs disturbed neighbours will have to pay more than £600.

Oldham Council successfully prosecuted Susan Arrowsmith, of Trent Road, Shaw, for causing a nuisance.

Environmental Health officers originally received a complaint from a neighbour in May, 2009. Council staff visited the property and witnessed the barking, then served Arrowsmith with a notice that required her to stop the nuisance and prevent it happening again. Noise-monitoring equipment was set up to record the barking.

Council staff also visited the property several times and the two parties involved agreed to go to mediation in an attempt to resolve the problem.

Arrowsmith’s four dogs continued to bark and a council officer wrote to her in January to tell her she was still being monitored. But from April 27 to May 3, 39 breaches of the notice were recorded. Legal proceedings were launched by the council.

Arrowsmith pleaded guilty at Oldham magistrates’ court to a breach of the notice. She was fined £300, told to pay £300 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.