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Anti-social behaviour (ASB)

ASB is behaviour that is disruptive to you, the people around you, or your local community.

  • How to report ASB
  • Dealing with noise nuisance
  • Hate crime and harrassment

Taking anti-social behaviour (ASB) seriously 

Updated: 2 October 2023

We want our homes and neighbourhoods to be great places to live. We also know that sometimes people don't get on and can suffer because of the ways others behave.

If you or someone you know is suffering because of anti-social behaviour (ASB), tell us. Our teams are on hand to lend their support.

We're not all the same and we all have different lifestyle choices, some of which we may not like, but if someone's actions are causing you alarm, distress or harassment, there are steps we can take to help.

What is considered ASB may be different depending on the circumstances, for more information please read our ASB policy.

  • Hate related incidents like racist, homophobic and other discriminatory acts
  • Taking, dealing or buying illegal drugs
  • Verbal abuse and threats
  • Harassment and Intimidation
  • Violence or threats of violence
  • Noise Nuisance
  • Criminal damage and vandalism
  • Offensive Graffiti
  • Nuisance from pets and animals
  • Vehicle crime
  • Criminal behaviour

  • A clash of lifestyles and personal disputes 
  • Unintentional/accidental behaviour of children including children playing
  • Parking and Boundary issues
  • Proportionate day to day household noise 
  • One off celebrations and parties 
  • BBQ’s and smoke 
  • Cooking odours and reasonable household smells


What you can do

Talk to the person. They may not know they’re upsetting you. Often you can sort out personal disagreements and everyday problems just by talking them over. When you do talk to the person remember to:

  • Be calm and friendly and show you're happy to hear their point of view
  • Listen to what they have to say
  • Try not to interrupt when they're talking
  • Stay in control, don't shout, be abusive or aggressive
  • Politely walk away if you feel the person is becoming unreasonable.

If you are concerned that noise coming from a neighbour could be domestic abuse, please do not wait to report to us, find out more about what you can do and how to report here.

How to report ASB

If you've tried talking to the person and the problem continues then you must let us know.

You can report the problem:

If your report is urgent or an emergency, please don't wait, call the Torus Customer Hub 0800 678 1894. If someone is in immediate danger call the Police on 999.

The more information we have, the easier it is for us to investigate. If you are reporting antisocial behaviour to us, please include your contact details so we can get in touch to find out more and keep you updated.

Even if you want to remain anonymous, you can still report a problem; we will do our best to act with the information we have.

Reports are dealt with promptly and you may be contacted by a Safer Estates Officer who is fully trained to help resolve things as quickly as possible.

Torus often receive reports of noise coming from neighbouring properties, however, some noise disturbances fall outside of what would be considered every day acceptable household noises, such as playing excessively loud music, or increased noise levels at inconsiderate times, either late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

Noise nuisance can be very subjective and several factors must be taken into account such as the time it occurs, levels of noise, frequency, duration of the noise, and the type of noise. The type of property can also be a factor, with noise being more sensitive in communal blocks and flats.

Find out more about noise nuisance

  • Respond to urgent call back requests of reports of ASB requiring an urgent response e.g. hate crime, domestic abuse, threats or use of violence or arson, within 24 hours.
  • Respond to all other reports of general ASB e.g. noise nuisance, within five working days.
  • An action plan will be agreed and provided in writing.
  • We will maintain regular contact with complainants, every two weeks unless a less frequent agreement is reached in Action Plan. In extreme cases, contact will be more frequent.
  • A case will be closed in agreement with the complainant if no further incidents are reported or if no contact with the complainant as arranged.

If you have recently reported multiple incidences of ASB and no action has been taken, you can ask your local authority to activate a ASB Case Review.  

A ASB Case Review gives you the right to request a review into your case and bring agencies (e.g. Torus, the council, police) together to find a solution. 

For more information about ASB Case Reviews, visit:

Cuckooing is when a drug dealer takes over the home of a vulnerable person who often lives on their own in order to use it as a base for drug dealing. Just like a cuckoo, the dealer moves in, takes over the property and turns it into a drugs den.

Dealers will choose someone they can scare, bully and control. They will seem friendly at first.

Victims of ‘cuckooing’ are often drug users but can include older people, those suffering from mental or physical health problems, female sex workers, single mums and those living in poverty. Victims may suffer from other forms of addiction, such as alcoholism, and are often already known to the police. Dealers often approach the victim offering free drugs to use their home for dealing.

Cuckooing is often linked to county lines drug dealing where urban gangs travel to suburban areas to establish a base for drug dealing. As a result of these actions, those being “cuckooed” can suffer from abuse and exploitation.

Signs of ‘Cuckooing’ to look out for:

  • More people than normal going into someone’s house
  • People calling in at all times of day and night
  • Different cars pulling up outside the house and not staying long
  • Strangers who block off the doors and windows to the house
  • If you haven’t seen your neighbour for a while

Torus wants you to feel safe in your home, so if you suspect ‘cuckooing’ is taking place, or you think you are a victim of cuckooing is urged to contact the ASB (Safer Estates) Team or the Police.

Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quick links

Noise Nuisance

Dealing with noise nuisance – what you can do: help & advice

Hate Crime

Information for victims of hate crime and harassment

Report ASB

ASB is behaviour that is disruptive to you, the people around you, or your local community.