Use this page to learn about how we define antisocial behaviour (ASB), how to report it, and to view statistics about how police have dealt with ASB reports in our area.
What antisocial behaviour means
Antisocial behaviour (ASB) is any type of activity which causes harrassment, alarm, distress or nuisance and annoyance to others in the community. Typical examples include the following:
- Environmental damage, such as graffiti, littering and fly tipping
- Community nuisance, such as noise pollution, drunken behaviour or drug taking
- Threats to personal safety, such as aggressive behaviour, and using insulting, threatening or discriminatory language. Severe cases of discrimination may qualify as a hate crime.
Repeated ASB can have a major effect on the quality of life of individuals or whole communities, and we take it very seriously. ASB is covered with national legislation, the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014). This focuses on the impact of ASB on victims, and gives police and other frontline professionals special powers to tackle incidents.
If you experience antisocial behaviour
If you’re experiencing anti-social behaviour, you could try and talk to the person causing the problem. They may not realise they’re being anti-social, or how much their behaviour is affecting others. Only do this if you feel safe and comfortable.
If it doesn't feel safe to talk to the person who is causing the problem, or they react badly when you try to talk to them, you can report the incident.
Make a report
There are a number of different ways that you can report the behaviour and request professional help. Depending on the nature of the problem, it may be most appropriate to contact us, the police or your landlord or housing association (if you have one).
Contact us to report inconsiderate neighbours who make a lot of noise, mess, smoke or general disturbance which affects your quality of life. Use our online reporting services for environmental protection. If you and those responsible for the nuisance live in rental housing, you may also want to contact your housing association or landlord.
Contact the police to report fighting, threatening or intimidating behaviour. If it affects how safe you feel in your home or community, you can report this type of behaviour, whether or not it is directed at you personally.
If you suspect, or overhear, violence or domestic abuse going on in another household, report this to the police for longer-term concerns, or ring 999 in an emergency.
Find out more about recognising, reporting and getting support for domestic abuse on our dedicated pages.
Report to the police any sexual behaviour which makes you feel unsafe. This could include any form of sexual assault, indecent exposure (or 'flashing'), harassment or stalking, nuisance calls or offensive comments. You can also make a report if you think that prostitution is going on in your area.
Find out more about recognising, reporting and getting support for violence against women and girls on our dedicated page.
Contact the police to report any evidence you have of drug dealing or taking, including suspicions about drug gangs running 'county lines' or exploiting vulnerable people ('cuckooing'). You can also report persistent drunken behaviour by individuals, or in certain places.
Where drug talking or antisocial drinking results in dangerous littering, such as discarded syringes or foils, or broken glass, you should report these to us, via our Fix My Street service.
Find out more about support for problems related to drugs and alcohol on our dedicated page.
Contact the police to report any vandalism, criminal damage and arson or graffiti to private property. You may also want to contact your housing association or landlord.
Report graffiti, vandalism or flyposting to public property such as roads, pavements, bus shelters, road signs or public litter bins, via our Fix My Street service.
Contact the police about any youth-related antisocial behaviour, such as vandalism, gangs or threatening behaviour, to you or anyone else.
If you have concerns about the welfare of a child or young person, report this to us.
Report criminal issues such as suspected stolen or abandoned vehicles, drunk or drug driving, dangerous driving and speeding to the police.
Contact us to tell us about nuisance behaviour involving vehicles, such as obstructive parking, via our Fix My Street service
Report hate crime to the police
Use our Hate crime page to learn more about action to reduce hate crime, and support available to victims.
Contact the police to report any animal issue which threatens public safety, such as dangerous dogs, out-of-control or violent animals, or the illegal use of animals (such as dog fighting).
Report any suspected animal abuse or welfare issues to the RSPCA.
Contact us for environmental health services in relation to dog mess or stray dogs. View our Problems related to dogs page for more information.
If you're unsure
If you're unsure which service to use, or have problems completing an online report, we recommend:
- Contacting the police on 999 for emergencies, or 101 for non-emergency reports
- Calling us on 01225 394041 for urgent enquiries, or by email at councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk
If the situation is not resolved: Antisocial Behaviour Case Reviews
If you are the victim of repeated antisocial behaviour, and you have reported this, but don't feel there has been enough action to solve the problem, you can ask for a case review with a multi-agency team (previously known as the Community Trigger).
The number of complaints about the behaviour must meet a local threshold, for the Case Review to take place. We count reports to your local council, the police or your landlord when deciding the threshold. In our area, the totals to trigger a Case Review are as follows:
- Three or more reports of anti-social behaviour from the same source and relating to the same problem, in the past six months
-
Five or more reports from separate people to these organisations about the same problem in the past six months
Once the ASB Case Review is triggered, the agencies involved (such as the local authority, police, health teams and social housing providers) will review the case. They may then make recommendations about further action to deal with the issue.
If you do not meet the criteria, you will not be able to request an ASB Case Review.
We publish figures on local ASB Case Reviews. These show the following:
- How many people apply for an ASB Case Review
- How many applications fail to meet the local threshold for the number of complaints about the behaviour
- The number of Case Reviews which are carried out
- The number of Reviews which result in recommendations for extra action to solve the issue
The tables below show Reviews since 2014, and a monthly breakdown for 2022 (the most recently available figures).
| Year | Number of applications | Complaints lower than threshold | Case Reviews | Reviews with new recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 12 |
| 2021 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 7 |
| 2022 | 17 | 6 | 13 | 11 |
| Total | 73 | 38 | 37 | 33 |
| Month in 2022 | Number of applications | Complaints lower than threshold | Case Reviews | Reviews with new recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| March | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| April | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| June | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| September | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| October | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| November | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| December | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 17 | 6 | 13 | 11 |