If an alarm is causing a noise disturbance and no one is available to respond we have powers to silence the alarm under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 if:

• The alarm has been sounding for more than 20 minutes continuously or intermittently for more than one hour, and
• Is likely to give persons living or working in the vicinity reasonable cause for annoyance.

If the alarm is confirmed to be causing a disturbance we can take whatever steps are necessary to silence the alarm – where possible our preferred option is to disable the externally mounted alarm box.

If it is not possible to silence the alarm from outside the premises then Section 78 of the Act allows us to apply for a warrant to forcibly enter the property.

In either case all costs incurred with silencing the alarm will be recovered from the person responsible for the alarm, which will usually be the owner of the property. Typical costs for silencing the alarm externally are around £200; the costs are substantially more if entry to the property is required. To avoid unnecessary expense make sure your alarm has a cut out device to silence it after 20 minutes.

Hampshire Constabulary provide a keyholder registration scheme where you can register the details of up to 3 keyholders who can be contacted by the police in your absence. Registration can be made by contacting keyholder.database@hampshire.pnn.police.uk or 023 8042 6046.

If you wish to complain about an intruder alarm please contact us on 01962 848097 with the following details:

• Address of the house/premises
• Duration that the alarm has been sounding
• Any identification markings on the alarm box
• Name and location of the occupier (if known)

If it appears that the property has been broken into, please contact the police.

We do not operate an out-of-hours service, so outside office hours contact the 101 service.

Under the provisions of the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993, if a vehicle is parked on the highway or in a public car park and the alarm sounds for more than one hour, notice can be served on the vehicle owner. The notice permits us to stop the noise by, if necessary, forcibly entering the vehicle or removing it to a suitable place to silence the alarm. The owner or keeper of the vehicle will be responsible for any cost incurred.

Where vehicles are parked on private land, such as the driveway of a house, a slightly different procedure applies as a warrant is required to enter the vehicle or to remove it.

To avoid potential problems, vehicle owners should ensure that their vehicle alarm:

• Is fitted by a competent installer
• Has an automatic cut out which will silence the alarm after 20 minutes
• Is checked regularly to make sure it is functioning correctly.
• Is repaired immediately, if a fault develops.

If you wish to complain about a car alarm please contact us on 01962 848097 with the following details:

• The make/model and registration number of the vehicle
• Duration that the alarm has been sounding
• Exact location of the vehicle
• Name and location of the owner (if known)

If it appears that the vehicle has been broken into, please contact the police.

We do not operate an out-of-hours service, so outside office hours contact the 101 service