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Couple stops neighbour's kids from making noise, ends up in trouble with the law

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When the shrieks and screams from their neighbour's children became too loud for them to bear, a UK couple installed an anti-child device outside their house in Suffolk, England.

The £130 (S$280) gadget emitted an unbearable, ​high-pitched noise only audible to young people. The sound is akin to someone running their nails down a chalk board.

Whenever Mr Michael Mitchell and his wife Kathryn switched it on, the four children would stop playing in the gardens and retreat indoors.

The couple used it up to thrice a day, for about two to three minutes each time, though sometimes up to 10 minutes, reported Mail Online.

They even adjusted it to produce a lower-pitched noise audible to adults and used it once when their neighbour played loud music late at night, the UK website reported.

Anti-social behaviour

After the neighbour made a complaint, the Mitchells were warned by the local council that they could face legal action for their anti-social behaviour.

Mr Mitchell, 66, said: "It (the letter from the council) switched things around from us being victims and is making out that we are the perpetrators. It is horrible."

The couple claimed the children had been encouraged to make noise and that they suffered for two years before resorting to this measure in August.

Said Mrs Mitchell: "We have never wanted to stop the children playing. We just want to stop them screaming too loudly."

She added: "We also had to shut our windows and doors. We were constantly on edge waiting for the noise to happen."

If they ignore the warning, they could be served a notice. If they breach the notice, they can be taken to court and fined £2,500, reported Mail Online.

Source: Mail Online
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