Norfolk Artist's Pet Cockerel Threatened with Police Seizure Over Noise Complaints
In the quiet Norfolk village of Aldeby, a 58-year-old artist faces the potential seizure of her beloved pet cockerel after the bird was effectively served with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order. Sue Farthing has been threatened with a Community Protection Notice by South Norfolk Council following anonymous complaints about her rooster Colonel's crowing.
The Council's Ultimatum and Community Backlash
The Community Protection Notice, issued under the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act, gives Ms Farthing just one week to significantly reduce the noise from her cockerel. Failure to comply could result in police intervention and Colonel's seizure. This development has sparked outrage among local residents, with more than 900 people signing a petition calling for common sense to prevail.
"It's quite upsetting. I'm a law-abiding citizen and to have an ASBO threatened against me and Colonel is insanity," Ms Farthing declared. "It's out of proportion for the situation. It sets a bad precedent for the future of the countryside. The council seem intent on destroying this way of life."
Life in Rural Aldeby and Colonel's Story
Ms Farthing moved to Aldeby three years ago, drawn to the village's population of just 400 people and its authentic rural character. The landscape, she describes, is alive with the sounds of muntjac deer, owls, and cows. She began keeping chickens as pets eighteen months ago after rescuing one, only discovering Colonel was a cockerel when he began crowing several months later.
"I thought he was a good addition to the group and vital to protect them from predators such as foxes," she explained. "He did produce some young chicks which I let hatch. I had a couple more cockerels and I decided to rehome them as they were crowing a lot."
The Council Investigation and Mitigation Efforts
The trouble began in August last year when a council officer visited Ms Farthing's home following a complaint that Colonel's noise was affecting a neighbour's mental health. South Norfolk Council conducted an investigation, monitoring the cockerel's crowing after the anonymous complaint.
Ms Farthing was instructed to keep Colonel quiet until after 8am. She responded by locking him in his coop overnight and blacking out the windows to prevent early morning crowing. "I found it really improved the situation but cockerels do have a natural body clock so he can crow before sunrise," she noted. "It only lasts a few minutes and then we maybe hear one or two later in the day."
Escalation and Community Petition
Despite these efforts, Ms Farthing received another letter last week threatening a Community Protection Order following further complaints. The correspondence explicitly warned that police could seize and destroy Colonel. The artist is now working on constructing a "bunker" to help deaden the noise and plans to appeal to the council for more time to properly soundproof the coop.
The local community has rallied impressively behind Ms Farthing and her cockerel. The petition, launched just six days ago, has garnered significant support from residents keen to protect the area's rural identity. It argues that council resources should be directed toward more pressing community priorities rather than pursuing what petitioners describe as "minor, infrequent rural noises that are inherent to countryside living."
Council's Position and Broader Implications
A South Norfolk Council spokesperson stated: "We engaged early with the owner of the cockerel and gave advice about how to reduce the impact of noise from crowing on surrounding neighbours. Unfortunately, further complaints were received, and evidence provided which demonstrates that crowing coinciding with daybreak can be heard very clearly within the complainant's home."
Ms Farthing maintains that Colonel only crows once in the morning and twice during the daytime, describing him as a "lovely character" who helps keep her seven hens in order. She emphasizes that her chickens are pets, not kept for farming purposes or financial gain. The case has raised broader questions about the balance between individual complaints and preserving traditional rural lifestyles in increasingly regulated environments.
