A NOISY neighbour’s stereo has been seized after he made the lives of nearby families a misery with his dance music.

Residents in Central Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, told how their children started falling asleep in school due to sleep deprivation caused by 39-year-old Craig Porter’s constant loud music.

Council officers decided to take action after a string of complaints from neighbours fed up with a daily torment of loud music from the house.

The house and dance music fan has now had his stereo seized by Hyndburn Borough Council after months of night-time surveillance at the property discovered loud music was booming out at all hours of the day and night.

However there is nothing in the seizure order preventing him from buying another stereo and neighbours say he is already playing loud music again.

Neighbour Kim McMahon said: “You can hear it in the houses across the street and everyone is just totally sick of it. When people have to get up at 6am it’s just not fair but he doesn’t care.”

Next door neighbour Michelle Roberts said: “It’s been really hard on us because my husband works a 40-hour week as an undertaker and I get protective of him “He shouldn’t have to put up with that.

“My daughter started sleeping in school and she was really struggling with her work.

“I had to go in and explain that we are basically living in a war zone.

“I only work part time so I can take a nap in the afternon, but it’s the effect on my family.

“I have been on the phone crying to the police, but there’s not much they can do.

“The officer from Hyndburn Homes has also been fantastic, coming around whenever I call. You just get to the end of your tether.”

Porter’s stereo was seized by the council’s environmental health officers and Hyndburn Homes staff, who were escorted by police officers to execute the warrant.

Coun Peter Clarke, Hyndburn’s cabinet member for environmental Issues said: ”This level of noise is anti-social and has a detrimental effect on people’s lives, and we will do whatever it takes to stop it, even if this means seizing stereo equipment.”