NewsUK NewsNeighbours from hellDealing with neighbours from hell can be a pain, especially when they turn abusive - but a lawyer gave some advice on action you can take and what legal action is at your disposal09:29, 01 Jun 2026People up and down the UK have to deal with disruptive neighbours on a daily basis. But what do you do if disruption morphs into constant abuse?‌That is the situation afflicting one woman who called LBC's Legal Hour to get some advice on what to do about a neighbour who "shouts abuse" at her every time she walks past his house.‌Sonya asked barrister Daniel Barnett what her legal rights are as she claimed the situation is a "long-standing problem".‌She said: "We have lived here for decades but in the cul-de-sac which is just to the left of where we live there's a neighbour who from within the cul-de-sac always shouts abuse at us when we walk past."We were just wondering whether there's anything we can do to stop this from happening. We were considering you know calling the police but we just weren't sure what you would advise."One thing would be to ignore it but it's been going on for decades and it seems to be a complete habit that this neighbour has to shout abuse."‌Daniel advised her not to call the police because the abuse is not threatening or violent. After ascertaining that she didn't feel safe talking to the neighbour herself, he strongly urged her to call her local council as her first port of call before contacting a lawyer.He told the caller: "The next thing to do is to report this to your local council, because most councils have procedures to deal with anti-social behaviour and your local council will almost certainly be able to help.‌"Because the abuse isn't threatening or violent, the police aren't going to be interested in this."I think your best bet, Sonya, is the local authority, they have people who are very good at dealing with this sort of thing."He also encouraged Sonya to enquire with her neighbours whether they have had similar issues with this neighbour. Daniel added that if they have, she will be in a "much stronger position" when she approaches the local authority.‌The barrister suggested that she should only take legal action as a "last resort", mainly because it can be very expensive and time consuming.He said: "Your last resort is to take legal action and seek an injunction to stop the abusive behaviour. But that's a real last resort. It's very expensive and time consuming.Article continues below"Possibly he's committing an offence under the Public Order Act 1986 although it needs to be quite bad for that to be the case."The Public Order Act 1986 is the primary legislation governing public orders, protests and civil disturbances in England and Wales.If Sonya's neighbour has committed an offence under the act, it would most likely be under section five (harassment, alarm or distress).Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Neighbours from hell