A pensioner has been hauled into court after his noisy pet cockerel subjected neighbours to “torture” by waking them up as early as 3am.
Harold Brown’s “nuisance” bird was recorded crowing once a minute for an hour and a half by environmental health officials after residents complained of the continual “cock a doodle do” sound coming from his garden.
The 80-year-old claimed in court that the noise was more of a “croak” than a traditional cockerel’s crow. But six of his neighbours from the residential cul-de-sac on the edge of Hampshire’s New Forest where he lives appeared in court to argue otherwise.
They told Southampton Magistrates Court that they have had to avoid parts of their house to get away from the “discernible” and ‘significant” squawking which would occur almost every morning.
One neighbour said her daughter works full time and has had to go to the doctors to “get help” for sleep after being repeatedly woken by the bird.
Mr Brown, who represented himself during the proceedings, disputed the evidence and said there was a “conspiracy” from both residents and the New Forest District Council (NFDC) against him.
Now, the pensioner has been handed a £200 fine after a District Judge found him guilty of failing to comply with an abatement notice to keep the noise down.
In addition to the fine he was ordered to pay £300 in legal costs and an £80 surcharge.
