What is anti-social behaviour?

Antisocial behaviour is defined as “behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as the person".

There are three main categories for anti-social behaviour, depending on how many people are affected:

Personal anti-social behaviour is when a person targets a specific individual or group.

Nuisance anti-social behaviour is when a person causes trouble, annoyance or suffering to a community.

Environmental anti-social behaviour is when a person’s actions affect the wider environment, such as public spaces or buildings.

Under these main headings anti-social behaviour falls into one of 13 different types. Click on a header for more information and how to report each type of anti-social behaviour.

This covers vehicles that appear to have been left by their owner, rather than stolen and abandoned. It includes scrap or ‘end of life’ vehicles and those damaged at the scene of a road traffic collision that have been abandoned and aren’t awaiting recovery.

Report an abandoned vehicle

This relates to vehicles being used in acts such as street cruising (driving up and down the street causing annoyance and bothering other road users), vehicle convoys and riding or driving on land other than a road. It also covers the misuse of go-peds, motorised skateboards and electric-propelled cycles, and the unlicensed dealing of vehicles where a person has two or more vehicles on the same road within 500 metres of each other.

Report anti-social driving to the police

This refers to general nuisance behaviour in a public place or a place to which the public have access, such as private clubs. It does not include domestic-related behaviour, harassment or public disorder which should be reported as crimes.

Report rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour to the council

Report public disorder to the police

Report domestic abuse to the police

Report harassment to the police

This covers any rowdy behaviour or general nuisance caused by neighbours. It also covers noise nuisance from parties or playing loud music.

Report a nuisance (noise, odour, smoke, dust, and light) to the council

Report rowdy behaviour caused by neighbours to the council

This includes fly posting and discarding litter, rubbish or drugs paraphernalia in any public place.

Report someone or a vehicle littering

Report litter, broken glass, or street cleaning issues

This covers any situation where animals are creating a nuisance or people’s behaviour associated with the use of animals is deemed as anti-social. It includes uncontrolled animals, stray dogs, barking, fouling and intimidation by an animal.

Report dog fouling

Report a dangerous dog

This is any situation in which people have entered land, water or premises without lawful authority or permission. It ranges from taking an unauthorised shortcut through a garden to setting up unauthorised campsites.

This is any situation in which people have entered land, water or premises without lawful authority or permission. It ranges from taking an unauthorised shortcut through a garden to setting up unauthorised campsites.

Report an unauthorised encampment to the council

This covers any type of communication by phone that causes anxiety and annoyance, including silent calls and intrusive ‘cold calling’ from businesses. It does not cover indecent, threatening or offensive behaviour which should be reported as crimes

Report harassment and stalking to the Police

This relates to unlicensed drinking in public spaces, where the behaviour of the persons involved is deemed as anti-social. It also covers unplanned and spontaneous parties which encroach on the street.

Report street drinking to the council

Report under-age drinking to the Police

This relates to any activity involving prostitution such as loitering, displaying cards or promoting prostitution. It may also refer to activities in and around a brothel that impact on local residents. It does not include ‘kerb-crawling’ which should be reported as a crime.

Report prostitution to the police

This relates to all incidents of noise nuisance that do not involve neighbours (see ‘Nuisance neighbours’ above).

Report a noise nuisance to the council

This covers anyone begging or asking for charitable donations in a public place, or encouraging a child to do so, without a license. Unlicensed ticket sellers at or near public transport hubs may also fall into this category.

Report begging to the council

This will include the inappropriate use of fireworks, the unlawful sale or possession of fireworks and noise created by fireworks.

Report misuse of fireworks to the Police

Anti-social behaviour does not include:

• boundary disputes
• children playing in a street or communal area
• family disputes
• noise from children playing
• normal living noises such as toilets flushing, or stairs being used
• not being able to park outside your home