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Antisocial Behaviour

Antisocial Behaviour is unreasonable behaviour that causes or is likely to cause alarm or distress.

Examples of antisocial behaviour are rowdy behaviour, excessive noise and verbal abuse.

Antisocial behaviour can damage the quality of life of individuals and communities. The Council is committed to ensuring that Orkney remains a safe and desirable place to live.

All Council tenants are required to sign up to a “Good Neighbour Charter” – see Related Downloads for more information.

How Do I Report Antisocial Behaviour?

Resolving issues informally often gives the best results. If you feel that it’s safe to do so, you should first try approaching the person responsible for the behaviour and discuss your concerns. If that isn’t an option or does not have the desired effect you can contact the Council. If you have concerns about a Council tenant’s behaviour please contact Housing Services for advice. If you have concerns about a private tenant, owner occupier or are unsure of the tenure of the individual contact Environmental Health in the first instance. If the person you have concerns about is an Orkney Housing Association Ltd (OHAL) tenant, contact OHAL for advice. Antisocial behaviour that is considered to be criminal should be reported directly to Police Scotland. The Council, Police and OHAL work together to resolve complaints of antisocial behaviour.

If the matter of concern is urgent and occurs outwith office hours, contact Police Scotland. The Police will record the callout and notify the Council.

Contact details:

Orkney Islands Council call 01856 873535 or email housing@orkney.gov.uk / env.health@orkney.gov.uk

Orkney Housing Association Ltd call 01856 875253 or email enquiries@ohal.org.uk

Police Scotland call 101(or 999 in an emergency)

What action can be taken?

The Council has a range of powers to deal with antisocial behaviour including:-

• Verbal and written warnings
• Acceptable Behaviour Contracts – a voluntary agreement between the relevant agencies (Police, Council, OHAL) and the person responsible for the behaviour.
• A Notice of Proceedings - This could lead to action being taken to evict the tenant where the behaviour does not cease. Private landlords may also take action against their tenants with support from the Council. Eviction would only be sought as a last resort.
• Court Action – this may include interdicts, eviction and/or Antisocial Behaviour Orders. Specific Implements may also be applied for, for example, this could require a tenant to remove a scrap car from their garden.

Please note that court actions are legal processes and can only be used where appropriate. You may be asked to assist our investigation by keeping records or agreeing to act as a witness in court.

For further details, refer to the Antisocial Behaviour Information Leaflet – see Related Downloads.

Information for Private Landlords

If you experience problems with your tenant behaving in an antisocial manner, you can contact Environmental Health at the Council for assistance. Other sources of information are available in the Related Downloads and Related Sites sections