Harassment can cause alarm, fear and distress. Many people who are the victims of any kind of harassment can end up becoming ill, both mentally and physically, as a result. It will almost certainly lead to increased stress which can have a major impact in raising blood pressure.
If you're experiencing harassment from a neighbour and need to understand your legal position, you can use our free Neighbour Rights Checker.
Harassment can also lead to insomnia, anxiety and depression, poor concentration and can dramatically affect your self-confidence and self-respect. People who are being harassed may take excessive intakes of alcohol or drugs to try to alleviate the problem which will, ultimately, only make matters worse. The Protection From Harassment Act 1997 offers you Protection From this Unwanted Behaviour.
The Protection From Harassment Act 1997
Under this Act it becomes a criminal offence if you:
- Cause alarm, harassment or distress more than once as a result of an action you conduct against another person. The conduct might be verbal or non-verbal and it doesn’t have to be the same type of action on each occasion – if the person feels alarmed, harassed or distressed by your actions, then it is deemed harassment, even if that was not your intention.
- Take any kind of action against another person which causes a fear of violence. This must happen on at least two occasions. The alleged offender must be aware, or ought to be aware, that their actions are likely to induce a fear of violence in the other person.
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The Protection From Harassment Act 1997 also permits you to take out a civil injunction against the alleged offender, as a right to protection and possible compensation in cases where a criminal prosecution isn’t appropriate or there is insufficient evidence to pursue a criminal case. This can be very useful as it’s often a civil injunction being put in place which will prevent the alleged offender from persisting with the behaviour.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Police Assistance
If you feel you are at immediate risk of violence as a result of harassment, then you should Call The Police. Under The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, the police can force the alleged offender to leave the vicinity of your home or the location where you might be at the time, and they have the powers of arrest if the alleged offender fails to comply with this order.
Dealing With Stalkers
Harassment isn’t always about people wanting to cause harm to another. Sometimes, it’s completely the opposite. People who might have a strong admiration and perceived ‘love’ for another person can end up becoming so obsessed that they might end up stalking you. This doesn’t necessarily mean just following you around or calling you on the phone, but would include situations where they are writing to you persistently and/or sending you unwanted gifts. And, should this be the case, then they are also guilty of causing harassment for which they can ultimately be prosecuted.
Therefore, whether it’s the intention of the alleged offender to cause harm by their harassment or not, or even if they’re unaware they might be causing alarm or distress, it is still an offence under the Act.
Please consider contacting your local police on 101 to report the trespassing and harassment. Keep a diary of all incidents with dates and times. You might also want to speak with Citizens Advice about getting a solicitor's letter or exploring civil remedies.
For your own wellbeing, please reach out to your GP about support for the trauma you're experiencing. You deserve to feel safe in your own home, and there are people who can help you achieve that.
My neighbours are harassing me because their cat comes into our garden.
I had mi idea who thos cat belonged to, as it was so thin and infested with fleas.
I had considered calling the RSPCA as it was stealing our cat's food and they were fighting.
These people believe someone is keeping their cat in their house - we have cats who don't like each other, let alone another cat, plus I can barely afford to feed two!
They are trespassing on our garden to look for this cat, who wasn't even here!
They seem mentally unwell, andcwhile I have sympathy, I have health issues of my own.
I want to be left alone. I have zero interest in associating with these people, or their friends.
Why do bullies pick on those of us who don't trouble others?
I have come to the conclusion that if we were loud and obnoxious, we'd be left alone.
I was assaulted two years ago by an older man which left me traumatised, now I've been threatened by another couple of boomers.
Sick of it.
I have lived in this property for 29 years and it has been adapted inside and outside to accommodate my disabilities.
My front door entrance cannot accommodate a ramp as there is a communal entrance used by all six properties.
Therefore social services and my local council put a door in my front room and a wheelchair platform and ramp which leads into my garden and then out to the street.
Since the neighbour upstairs moved in my life has become unbearable.
Said neighbour used to work at nights. I refrained from all unnecessary noise and activities for years during the day for years, including having the grass cut in my garden until I knew he was awake.
He is now unemployed and has put laminate flooring down and stomps around on it both day and night.
He used to play extremely loud music constantly, and I reported this to our both mi e and his landlord, which is the local council.
After providing the relevant proof regarding his behaviour, the music stopped.
Now all these years later he is again making my life hell.
He insisted on parking his car within the “H” line marking my small dropped kerb continuously until my friends blocked his car in in the hope he would knock on my door giving me the opportunity to discuss the problem with him.
Instead of doing that, he just left his car in that spot until he was no longer blocked in,
which was 2 days.
Myaelf and a friend were out one day and when we returned, his car was once again parked slightly within the “H” line which stops my car or any car I am in from being able to park a car therefore not allowing me direct access from the street into my garden and property.
My friend therefore parked close to his car but not blocking him in.
Whilst she was doing this, a white car being driven by a woman pulled up alongside and the woman asked if we had a problem with the man who lives above me and why my friend was deliberately parking so close to said neighbours car.
Both my friend and I explained that we were actually making sure that the car in front could get out, and that there was enough space for other cars to park behind.
I was sitting in my mobility scooter at this moment in time, and whilst talking to the woman, who had parked her car, and exited her car to confront us on the street, said neighbour appeared in his window upstairs and began shouting.
The woman who was confronting us was said neighbours sister.
As the discussion continued and become more intense, said neighbour left his flat and came onto the street where he joined in the heated discussion.
During the discussion I reminded him that since he moved in I had deliberately refrained from allowing or participating in any noisy activities within the boundaries of my property in order to not disturb
Me up
All hours
Of night throu bangin he's furniture citen housing are twats to me they don't do anyfink about the abuse I am suffering he constoly. Harassing me behide close doors
but not to you.
but not to you.
And residents are scared to say anything in case anything happens to them ,we are also followed and spyed on as well really getting annoyed for our safety help !
More than 15 years plus.
The father has repeatedly played a tuba deliberatly in the hallway to harass me by noise, when. Any normal person would play in lounge for own enjoyment
In fact you would think they have been payed by somone to harass us.Because it's constant un necessary noise from them
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