Police investigating claims by Mark Jefferson, 51, and partner Diane Stratford, 42, visited them on 20 separate occasions.

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The couple called out police on eight occasions as they complained that their neighbour in Tinshill, Leeds, was bombarding them with noise.

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Recording equipment was installed in their home – and it identified that the noise was music in their own living room. The pair could be heard talking to each other over the music.

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Police became suspicious and examined the couple's nuisance diary in which they recorded alleged incidents and submitted them as evidence to their local council housing office.


The handwriting on the diary matched that on the hate mail letters. When challenged, Mr Jefferson, 51, admitted sending the hate letters. He was given an £80 penalty notice for wasting police time.

The former motor engineer said his actions in sending the phony hate mail were "totally out of character".

He claimed the noise from the neighbours had stopped because they knew the council had installed the recording equipment.

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Mr Jefferson said he had been plagued by excessively loud music, shouting, doors slamming and tapping on their lounge and bedroom walls for the last six months.

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"For some reason when they installed the monitor it went dead quiet. I asked them to extend the monitoring period, but they refused.

"Sending the mail was out of character. We do not normally do things like that. We are not bad people. We have been dealt with by the police and received the penalty notice which we have paid," said Mr Jefferson.

Insp Simon Jessup, of the neighbourhood police, said: "We take reports of antisocial behaviour very seriously and work closely with our partners in the council and housing to get to try to get to the bottom of people's complaints.

"False reports waste a significant amount of time that could be better spent by police officers and council officials in meeting the needs of people with genuine complaints.

"We hope that highlighting this case will serve as a deterrent to others who think they can get away with wasting our time. Although a penalty notice has been the appropriate punishment on this occasion, people can be charged with wasting police time and can receive a criminal conviction at court."

When the YEP called at the neighbour's house there was no answer.