Customers have told us they feel frustrated when nothing happens for a long time after they report anti-social behaviour (ASB).

We adapt our approach to tackling ASB based on the level of impact and risk in each situation. Sometimes we can quickly resolve issues if we can take action ourselves, such as giving tenancy warnings. If we take legal action through the court, the process can take longer.

The court process

Before this happens, we make sure legal action is appropriate.

At court, we present the facts of our case to the judge and provide clear evidence of what happened. We gather witness statements from those affected and collect additional evidence. This process takes time and can delay the resolution of issues.

We must inform the person who is reportedly carrying out the behaviour that we’ll be applying to court – this is called serving notice. The length of the notice period we have to give the person depends on a range of factors. Once the notice period has passed, we apply to the court and wait for a hearing date to present the case. At Leeds Combined Court, we currently wait an average of two months for a hearing date.

When ASB issues are widespread or very serious, we can apply for a court hearing without serving notice.

The person who is accused of the ASB may defend themselves at the first court hearing. In that case, the court adjourns the first hearing and schedules a trial. The court will then set a further date for the trial. This could be weeks or months after the first hearing.

The Judge may issue an ‘order’ as an outcome of the trial. An order typically prohibits certain actions and behaviour from continuing, and it is served to the individual displaying the behaviour. Our goal is for the order to stop the ASB. However, if it doesn’t, we’ll gather more evidence and seek a further court hearing.

In more serious cases, the court may issue a ‘possession order,’ allowing us to evict someone from their home with the support of a bailiff. This process can cause additional delays.

Various delays in the civil justice system can be caused by lots of different factors. This unfortunately means ASB often continues before the court can issue a final decision.

At court

We understand how stressful this can be. We work with a team of solicitors to take the fastest and most effective approach to prevent delays.

When we receive reports of ASB, we gather evidence in the early stages so we can use this if we need to progress to court without delay.

If you are experiencing ASB, take a look at our ASB directory for more information on how to report it.