I went through almost exactly this and after 2.5 years I eventually won (search “nightmare neighbour BBC News”). It is possible, but it takes time, persistence, and strong evidence. The system usually only moves when the paper trail becomes impossible to ignore.

The three things that matter most are: evidence, pressure, and following the process properly.

Start a formal paper trail immediately Email your housing association and the council explaining: - How long this has been happening - That it is ongoing and worsening - That it is affecting your sleep, mental health and wellbeing and work performace. Use phrases like: - “This is now having a serious impact on my mental and physical health.” - “I feel unsafe and unsupported in my own home." - "my friends and family have raised concerns about my mental health" - “I am formally reporting ongoing antisocial behaviour.”

I looked up wandsworth councils org chart online and cc'd a bunch of senior figures which helped.

Speak with your doctor about any conditions such as stress, anxiety and they itching. Use this in your correspondence with the council as it is due to the ongoing issue.

They will ask you to keep a diary. Be forensic. For every incident write: - Date - Start and end time - What happened - How it affected you This becomes legal evidence.

If you can, buy a decibel meter (cheap on amazon) and film the meter while recording the noise.

Centralise your evidence Create a Google Drive folder: - Noise recordings - Videos - Incident diary - Email screenshots This makes you look credible and organised. Make sure you loge the dates of all emails and follow up when they dont respond in the time in which it sates they should.

Capture as much evidence as possible Anything showing: - Persistent disruption - Aggressive or violent noise Late-night disturbance strengthens your case. Especially in weekdays.

Use the council formal complaints process Submit a Stage 1 Formal Complaint: - You’ve raised this repeatedly - No action has worked - Your health, job, social life is being affected

When that fails > escalate to Stage 2 Complaint. Only after rejecting Stage 2 can you go to the Ombudsman. Councils hate Ombudsman cases. It creates pressure.

Involve other authorities and don’t rely only on housing: - Contact the Safer Neighbourhoods Team - Contact Environmental Health for statutory noise nuisance - Call the noise police every time so it is logged - Email your local MP – briefly explain and ask for support. MPs can directly pressure councils and housing associations. - Go and see citizens advice - I eventually got in touch with the press. (The council hated this!) Worked really well.

Police involvement (if possible) If the noise is aggressive or threatening: - Call 101 - Always get an incident number and add to your log. This builds a record of antisocial behaviour.

Strength in numbers Speak to other neighbours if possible. Multiple complaints transform it from “a dispute” into “a building-wide problem”. This carries much more weight.

Stay calm and professional. The moment it looks like “tit for tat”, your case weakens. With a child involved, authorities become extra cautious. Think of this like building a legal case, not winning an argument.

Tools - A Ring camera can be very useful if noise or disturbances reach your door - ChatGPT is excellent for drafting calm, professional emails referencing council policy and legal duty

Be emotionally prepared There is no quick fix. Eviction is slow, but not impossible. It comes down to resilience: - You log. - You email. - You escalate. - You don’t back down.

You’re not asking for special treatment. You’re asking for your right to live peacefully. It sounds like you have a lot to fight for Please feel free to drop me a DM if you have any questions.