Parents on a street in Lincolnshire have been warned to keep the noise down when calling their children in for tea. A letter from housing association Amplius to residents of Viscount Close, Pinchbeck, states that complaints have been received about 'shouting children to come inside following playtime on [the] communal grass area'.
People living near the large patch of grass have called the accusation of antisocial behaviour 'absolutely crazy'. Grandmother Susan Coleman, 43, said: 'Parents have been shouting their kids in for their tea or to get ready for bed for ever. Why is this a problem now?' She added: 'The grass area where the kids play football and other games is only 20ft away from people's front doors, so they're not very loud when they shout.'
Residents defend normal practice
Susan does not know who made the complaint, but said: 'To moan about parents calling for their children to come in is barmy.' Natasha Saggs, 38, whose daughter uses the grassy area, told the BBC: 'We get complaints if children are on social media too much and they're gaming inside and they're on their tablets. Being called in for dinner is a normal daily thing to do.'
Dad-of-two James, 38, said all the children are of primary school age and like being able to play out for longer. He is equally perplexed by the complaint, adding: 'It's not like they're screaming or swearing at them.'
Housing association's response
Amplius, which manages more than 40,000 homes, said the noise complaint fell within its 'anti-social behaviour' policy. A spokesperson said: 'We take reports of noise nuisance seriously and want to create peaceful communities for our customers. We've written to our customers who live in the relevant homes and have managed to speak to one of them about the allegations. As per our Anti-social Behaviour and Neighbourhood Management policy, complainants will be offered the use of The Noise app to help capture any evidence of noise nuisance.'
Resident Rick Gay said: 'Whoever's complained needs to give their head a wobble.'
